
DBooKs or 

rtcnjuiiCAL GARDENING 



THE BOOK OP 

THE 
COTTAGE X^ARDEN 



BY 



CHARLES THONGKR 



Glass S3 ^s53 

Book ho 



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HANDBOOKS OF PRACTICAL GARDENING 
EDITED BY HARRY ROBERTS 



THE BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



THE BOOK OF THE 
COTTAGE GARDEN 



BY 

CHARLES THONGER 

AUTHOR OF " THE BOOK OF GARDEN DESIGN " 
**THE BOOK OF ROCK AND WATER GARDENS," ETC. 



" I have not found in this world a greater 
source of delight than to possess a beautiful 
garden." 

Bernard Palissy. 



LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD 

NEW YORK : JOHN LANE COMPANY. MCMIX 



Turnbull c^' Spears, Printers, Edinburgh 



PREFACE 



Lest the title of this book lead to any misconception as 
to the gardens it concerns, let me hasten to say that it is 
written for those who, whilst possessing country cottages, 
are in no sense cottagers. 

Nowadays *^a cottage in the country" may mean 
anything from a six-roomed bungalow with a diminutive 
garden to a commodious residence surrounded by ex- 
tensive grounds. But whatever its size, the garden of 
the country cottage offers unique opportunities for the 
growing of flowers in good and natural ways. 

A Cottage Garden filled with hardy flowers is in- 
finitely more satisfying than a group of gorgeous exotics 
stiffly staged in an ugly greenhouse ; one represents Art, 
the other the achievement of wealth. 

To the garden lover more than the flower show 
enthusiast I offer the suggestions contained in the 
following pages. 

C. T. 



WoODBRlDGE, SuFFOLK, 
May 1908. 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Preface ...... t 

CHAP. 

I. The Cottage Garden . . . , . i 

II. Lawns and Grass Plots ..... lo 

III. Hardy Flower Borders . .18 

IV. Annuals and Biennials . . . . .29- 
V. Roses ....... 39- 

VI. The Reserve Garden , . . . .51 

VII. Garden Colour . . , . . . 60- 

VIII. Fragrance ....... 67 

IX. The Vegetable Garden . . . . -75 

X. The Orchard Garden . , - . 82 

Index ....... 9i>^ 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Rock Plants on Stone Wall . 

Wall Border and Climbers 

Rock Paving with Plants in Crevices . 

Herbaceous Grouping 

Rock Plants at Messrs Bees' Nurseries 

Carpeting Plants 

Rock Walling .... 
Lawn Margin and Lily Pool . 
Marginal Clusters at the Craven Nurseries 
A Rock Wall at Messrs Bees' Nurseries 
A Garden in the Making 

Dwarf Rock Plants at the Craven Nurseries 
Roses Freely Grown 
A Crevice .... 
Lawn and Shade 

A Rock Garden at the Craven Nurseries 
Ground well Covered . 
Grouping under Trees . 



/ 

Frontispiece 
facing page ^ 



THE BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



4 



THE BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



CHAPTER I 

THE COTTAGE GARDEN 

In writing a book on the cottage garden, one is conscious 
that the subject is of considerable difficulty. To many, 
this statement will appear absurd ; and the many will be 
right or wrong in exact accordance with the views they 
hold upon the ideals and aims of modern garden craft. 
If the making of gardens is regarded as a material 
accomplishment, having for its purpose the service of 
purely utilitarian ends, then is the cottage garden the 
simplest and least elaborate expression of a diverse and 
complicated science. The humble plots of land attached 
to cottage dwellings are but patches of practice ground 
where the novice may try his hand at raising a few 
flowers and vegetables, assured that failure will entail 
no serious consequences, no waste of money, no lasting 
inconvenience. 

The growing of produce for the table, the culture 
of flowers so that their blossoms may be gathered to 
brighten dingy rooms, the providing of lawns for tennis 
and croquet, the laying out of ornamental grounds that 
we may live amid trim, orderly surroundings — are these, 
then, the considerations that from time immemorial have 
quickened in the minds of men and women of refined 
instincts the love and need of a garden ? If so, it means 
that our gardens are not gardens at all, but merely 



2 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



pieces of cultivated land which combine the material 
possibilities of market establishments with the healthy 
facilities of recreation grounds. Their planning and 
arrangement must be conducted on precisely similar 
principles to those governing the laying down of rail- 
roads or the building of factories ; whilst their main 
object would be to serve purposes of economical con- 
venience. Granting, for the sake of argument, that 
this is the case, there can be no question of the accuracy 
of those who declare that the cottage gardens of England 
are examples of garden craft in its crudest and most 
elementary form. From this, it naturally follows that to 
write a book dealing with such gardens is, to anyone 
possessed of the smallest aptitude for horticultural pen- 
manship, a ridiculously easy proceeding. The limitations 
of the subject preclude any reference to matters requiring 
the highest skill and knowledge ; the book, in fact, is 
suited only for the lowest shelf of the garden litterateur's 
library, the places of honour being reserved for advanced 
works dealing with gardens in the Italian style, gardens 
with statuary and fountains, gardens which cost thousands 
of pounds to maintain, gardens where, with skilled pro- 
fessionals and their aproned assistants, rare orchids are 
coaxed into bloom under conditions which may help to 
remind them of their native tropics. 

But supposing after all that these things are not so ; 
that the cottage garden, far from being an insignificant 
attempt to ape the splendours of more pretentious 
pleasure grounds, is in reality our nearest available 
approach to the ideal. Surely, then, we may pause in 
our judgment, at anyrate until such time as we have 
ascertained the truth or otherwise of the presumption. 
And that this same presumption is not false but true, is 
exactly what I hope to prove so far as the limits of this 
book will allow, at the same time showing the possi- 
bilities which the small country garden offers in the way 



THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



of achieving real and lasting beauty by the simplest and 
most natural means. 

Scattered throughout the length and breadth of Eng- 
land, facing dusty roadsides, hidden among the shadows 
of quiet lanes, clinging to the slopes of seaworn cliffs, 
skirting golden commons, are cottage gardens innumer- 
able. Rarely are they ugly 5 often they are pictures of 
sweetest charm and complete artistic fulfilment. Here 
is no straining after effect, no surrender to the dictates 
of passing fashion, no meaningless attempt to introduce 
into an environment utterly foreign to them, styles and 
mannerisms borrowed from other countries. Here we 
shall seek in vain the statuary and vases which, according 
so admirably with the stately dignity of those memory- 
haunted gardens of Italy, distort and make hideous the 
expensive gardens" which certain architects have 
planned for English parvenus. Motives of economy, 
if not those of better feeling, have excluded from our 
wayside gardens the varnished huts with windows of 
stained glass, which, dignified as summer-houses, adorn 
a thousand suburban plots. The cheap conservatory is 
conspicuous by its absence ; there are no ricketty chairs 
with striped awnings, tawdry Japanese umbrellas or 
portable hammocks. In short, the average cottage 
garden is a garden, not a piece of ground littered with 
a medley of rubbish, which lacks even the merit of 
accomplishing the doubtful purpose for which it was 
intended. 

Tended with jealous care, or, as is often the case, left 
to work out unaided nature's scheme of flower design, 
these humble gardens are frequently models worthy of 
the utmost consideration. Their very simplicity disarms 
criticism : the homely flowers basking in the sun are like 
old friends ; the perfumed lavender and night-scented 
stock breathe a fragrance which stirs within us memories 
of happy childhood, memories which, strange to say, are 



4 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



not awakened by the same flowers grown in the gardens 
of the rich. If once the suggestion of money lavishly 
spent is allowed to obtrude itself into a garden, the 
message of tree and flower and shrub is stifled at its 
birth. Nature, even in her most lavish aspects, never 
advertises her wealth. Who, with an eye for beauty 
and form, could pass through one of those mighty 
forests of the New World, and forget their grandeur 
in reckoning the thousands of pounds worth of timber 
displayed ? True, a log-feller might ; a nature lover, 
never ! Or who, but the most commercial minded, 
would pause to calculate in pounds, shillings, and 
pence, the value of the gorgeous orchids festooning 
the trees of some Brazilian swamp ? 

And yet that is precisely what does happen in hundreds 
of English gardens we have seen. The taint of money 
is everywhere — tons of soil removed from one spot to 
another ; terraces and balustrades glittering with new- 
ness ; artificial lakes on elevated ground ; fountains 
playing ; exotics, which in winter must be sheltered in 
heated structures, dotting the lawns and stairways. 
There is no air of peace or rest in such gardens. An 
army of men is constantly at work, sweeping, trimming, 
clipping, tidying — an endless round of wearisome and 
profitless labour. We forget the garden in the stupend- 
ous prospect of the wages bill. 

How different is the cottage garden, whose very 
existence, since poverty not affluence called it into being, 
is due to a need in humble minds for its pleasant com- 
panionship. Its paths are moss-grown, innocent of the 
immaculate coatings of gravel dear to the owners of 
carriage drives and serpentine walks. Roses and creepers 
drape themselves in natural ways on porch and eaves, 
unvisited by a watchful assistant with his bag of nails 
and cloth shreds. Bedding out" is unknown ; instead, 
the borders are filled with a brave company of hardy 



THE COTTAGE GARDEN 5 



plants which greet the seasons as Nature intended. As 
summer wanes, the ground is littered thick with fallen 
leaves and petals, crimson, amber, chestnut, and gold. 
No one troubles to remove them ; they drop to earth to 
nourish the plants which gave them life. Here in truth 
is realised, more closely perhaps than elsewhere, some- 
thing of that subtle mystery without which the love 
of gardens could never have survived so long as it has 
done. 

To what cause or causes must we then attribute the 
charm that attends our English cottage gardens ? Tended 
by those who have served no apprenticeship in the cul- 
ture of flowers, designed in happy ignorance, destined 
primarily to please a class ready to offend every known 
canon of art, yet they contrive to secure the admiration 
of men who are justly regarded as the leading exponents 
of practical garden making. Writing in The English 
Flower Garden, William Robinson says : " Among the 
things made by man nothing is prettier than an English 
cottage garden, and they often teach lessons that ' great ' 
gardeners should learn, and are pretty from Snowdrop 
time till the Fuchsia bushes bloom nearly into winter." 
Let us look over the hedge into one of these homely 
gardens and learn if possible its secret. 

To the believer in text book rules and to those who 
pin their faith to stereotyped plans, there will be little 
to gain in the way of information. At first sight, every- 
thing appears to be hopelessly mixed — paths of varying 
widths, beds unequally proportioned, plants straying 
from their legitimate quarters and establishing themselves 
wherever they can secure convenient roothold. Clearly, 
such a garden was not secured by the aid of working 
drawings, measuring rods or instruments for ensuring 
correct levels. And yet, on looking more closely, we 
shall find that here is no haphazard jumble, but on the 
contrary a direct acceptance of certain conditions, the 



6 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



realisation of which has been instrumental in procuring 
so excellent a result. 

To begin with, no attempt has been made to interfere 
with the natural ground level, and this, in the case of 
small gardens especially, is a point of the highest im- 
portance. The mania for carting earth from place to 
place, and the craze for raising mounds and embankments, 
has ruined the appearance of hundreds of promising 
gardens, and has added enormously to the cost of their 
construction. A certain justification might be found for 
the practice if the site was hemmed in entirely by high 
walls, which prevented any view of the surrounding 
country : there can be none when the features of the 
distant landscape are plainly visible from the garden 
itself. A perfectly level garden is an anachronism on a 
hillside, and equally out of place in a flat country is one 
constructed on the terrace principle. As the charm of 
many small country gardens depends so largely upon 
the views obtainable from them, this principle is one 
that must ever be borne in mind. Indeed, half the secret 
of successful garden making lies in an endeavour to open 
out rather than exclude any picturesque features in the 
vicinity. This can often be managed without in any 
way sacrificing shelter or priv^acy. To materially alter 
the natural contour of the ground is usually a wanton 
act, entailing labour and expense and bringing no reward 
so far as beauty is concerned. The cottage garden is 
artistically satisfying because it is in harmony with its 
surroundings ; its owners have regarded Nature as a 
guide and helper rather than an adversary to be stubbornly 
resisted. 

Another noticeable feature will be the character of 
the flowers themselves. As a rule the number of 
varieties included is strictly limited — Roses, Hollyhocks, 
Helianthus, Delphiniums, Lilies, Pinks, and the more easily 
grown perennials. Instead of aimless dotting," the 



THE COTTAGE GARDEN 7 



several kinds are grouped in spreading patches, thereby 
producing bold colour masses. An effective carpet is 
usually provided by an unrestricted growth of mosses, 
saxifrages, and other dwarf plants, which have been 
encouraged to spread and seed themselves in every 
direction. How seldom in large gardens do we notice 
any attempt to clothe in similar fashion the bare patches 
of earth which form so poor a setting to beds of standard 
roses or flowering shrubs. Apart altogether from the 
beauty of these verdant carpets, they directly benefit 
the larger plants by shielding their roots from the effects 
of sun and drying winds. And, too, they enable the 
inclusion of hosts of charming little subjects which are 
too diminutive for more prominent positions. 

In the Cottage Garden, the bedding-out" system re- 
ceives no encouragement. It is true that lack of oppor- 
tunity rather than actual prejudice is responsible for this, 
but we are concerned not with motives but with results. 
Even were the cottager possessed of the cumbrous 
paraphernalia necessary to maintain regular supplies of 
short-lived plants, it is certain that he would rebel at 
the waste of labour and material involved in their con- 
stant planting and replanting. The countryman has a 
further prejudice against weaklings, either of the animal 
or vegetable kingdom, and we find that his garden is 
filled with hardy, robust plants which require no coddl- 
ing and are able to shift for themselves. Since no 
attempt is made to include unwilling aliens, the flowers 
in the Cottage Garden are typical of the neighbourhood. 
In Cornwall and the sheltered coombes of Devon, the 
Fuchsia and Myrtle thrive winter-long in the gardens 
near the sea; in Scotland, the Flame Nasturtium gar- 
lands grey walls with ropes of scarlet. In every part 
of the country, from highest north to furthest south, 
there are shrubs and plants thoroughly acclimatised to 
each particular locality. A tithe of these will suffice to 



8 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



beautify the small garden ; there is no need to court 
failure with half-hardy subjects or to enervate sturdy 
wildings by unnecessary shelter and warmth. 

Provided only that it is of good form and colour, one 
hardy plant, well grown, is worth a dozen rarities of 
feeble habit and sickly constitution. Flowers raised as 
curiosities or because there is a one in a hundred chance 
that they may survive adverse circumstances, have no 
place in the small garden. Rarely is it advisable to pay 
the slightest heed to the untried *^ novelties," which to 
many form the most attractive section of the nursery- 
man's catalogue. Described in glowing terms, they 
appear irresistible ; when grown, the few that do not 
fail altogether, are frequently discovered to be inferior 
in every way to the recognised types from which they 
sprang. In large gardens space can be afforded to make 
a trial of new varieties ; in those of small extent, this 
can only be done by excluding old favourites of whose 
value there is no element of uncertainty. 

I can well believe that many people, more particularly 
those who have plants to sell, will condemn this spirit 
of cautious conservatism as prejudicial to the best in- 
terests of garden art. Their strictures, however, need 
not concern us in the least. Too many books have been 
written with the unmistakable purpose of pushing the 
sale of new plants ; too few have urged the fact that 
beauty most often results from the use of simple materials 
simply employed. Money is, indeed, the least needed 
factor to the realisation of a delightful garden, and for 
this reason the oldest of all the arts offers possibilities 
which in no way depend for their accomplishment upon 
wealth or station. All true garden lovers are generous, 
and it should be an easy matter, so far as hardy peren- 
nials are concerned, to obtain an ample stock of new 
plants by a system of exchange with one's neighbours. 
In this way the cost of maintenance is reduced to a 



THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



minimum, and a bond of mutual interest established 
between the owners of small pleasure grounds. 

The cottager's garden is charming because it is appro- 
priate — appropriate not only as regards its actual contents, 
but in its association with dwelling house and outbuild- 
ings. It is useless to expect a pleasing effect when a 
garden is dwarfed by the size of the house, or the 
house is made insignificant by the spaciousness of its 
garden. One is necessarily the complement of the 
other, and as it is rarely possible to fit the house to the 
garden it should be the care of every good designer to 
adapt the garden to the style and character of the house. 
There is no reason, of course, why a small house should 
not possess a large garden ; the point is, that such parts 
of it as are actually adjacent to the building shall be 
duly proportionate and in keeping with its architectural 
plan. Arid wastes of gravel, unrelieved stretches of 
lawn, or numerous geometrically formed flower beds, 
are features too overpowering for the small cottage, 
which demands a garden of the utmost simplicity. Now- 
adays it is the fashion among the wealthy to build week- 
end cottages of unpretentious exterior and to surround 
them with gardens of the most eleborate description. I 
know one of this kind, a homely bungalow residence, 
creeper clad, and in itself wholly charming. But it is 
set in the midst of pleasure grounds laid out in the 
Italian style, with much stonework and carpet bedding. 
The effect produced is hardly less incongruous than 
would result from the placing of Buckingham Palace 
in a meadow. 

To those who have eyes to see, there are lessons in- 
numerable in the humble gardens of the countryside. 
After all — and of this none should be more conscious 
than their writers — books are but finger posts, which, 
so far as nature is concerned, merely point the way to 
the true sources of knowledge and inspiration. 



CHAPTER II 



LAWNS AND GRASS PLOTS 

k The lawn is the heart of the true British garden." 

William Robinson. 

For some reason the English cottager is not good to his 
grass plot. Now and then we see the turf cared for as 
it should be, but as a rule it is neglected, weed-grown, 
and unkempt. The practice of leaving things to them- 
selves, so often productive of charm where hardy flower 
borders and free-growing climbers are concerned, is 
fatal to the appearance of a lawn, which can only be 
beautiful when regularly tended. Nothing degenerates 
more quickly than once-mown turf ; nothing gives a 
garden a sadder or more desolate aspect. If all culture 
were suspended for a year among the beds and borders 
and only the grass was regularly rolled, cut, and swept, 
the garden would still look a garden ; the idea that it 
was used and appreciated, that labour was given cheer- 
fully, would still prevail. So great a return does the 
lawn make for the care that is bestowed upon it, that 
although we should remark the weed-strewn borders 
and the wild tangle of the rose bushes, we should be far 
from saying that the garden was a wilderness, or that it 
meant nothing to its owners. Reverse the conditions 
and surround a neglected lawn with flower borders 
scrupulously kept, and not even their beauty will redeem 
the general impression that the place is unsought, unloved, 
forgotten. A garden lawn is a decorative feature which 

xo 



LAWNS AND GRASS PLOTS 



is purely artificial. However much we may in other 
directions give way to Nature, imitate her methods, and 
submit to her caprices, here there can be no possibility 
of compromise. A lawn demands constant attention ; 
the more it is subjected to the roller, the shears, and the 
broom, the better it will be. This is probably why the 
cottager who owns a grass plot fails to make his garden 
entirely satisfying to those who have an eye for the 
eternal fitness of things. 

Comparatively few gardeners, even those who call 
themselves professionals and experts, understand the 
making of a lawn. To see the poor results achieved in 
many modern gardens, one would almost suppose that 
the successful laying of turf had indeed become a lost 
art. And yet it is comparatively simple, mainly consisting 
in the taking of infinite pains. Time of course is needed 
to enable the lawn to attain its full beauty of velvet 
verdure : this is why the lawns attached to some of the 
older colleges and ancestral homes of England are so 
fine and even in texture. For the rest, our climate is 
practically ideal for the perfection of well-kept sward ; 
lovers of beautiful lawns may extract this much satis- 
faction from the doubtful blessings of a mist-laden 
atmosphere. Nor must it be forgotten that the brown 
and parched appearance of lawns during occasional dry 
summers is largely due to imperfect preparation of the 
ground previous to seed sowing or laying turf. By 
taking trouble, the grass in small gardens should be a 
sheet of emerald throughout the year. When we realise 
the difficulties which gardeners in other countries are 
obliged to face in order to get some semblance of good 
turf — often it means the annual sowing of fresh seed — 
we should feel encouraged to make the cottage lawn one 
of its most beautiful features. 

In making a new lawn the vexed question naturally 
arises, whether it is better to lay turf or sow seed. 



12 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



Much may be urged for both systems, but the main con- 
sideration, that of cost, must be decided by the individual. 
The use of turf enables a finished effect almost at once ; 
sown ground is often a long time before it becomes 
evenly clothed with verdure. Turf, if good, requires 
the minimum of attention, whereas sowing almost cer- 
tainly involves more or less difficult attempts to checkmate 
the birds, which, unless prevented, devour grass seed as 
soon as sown. In some places the cost of cartage is 
a prohibitive item, and when the further expenses 
of cutting and laying are taken into account, even a 
small lawn so formed may prove an expensive luxury. 
The turf from some pastures abounds in weeds and 
the coarser grasses, and after the necessary cleaning 
has been performed little of the original material re- 
mains. In such cases, I should only advise the use of 
turf when it can be procured of good quality, cheaply, 
and at a reasonable charge for cartage. 

Putting aside the difficulty of protection and the slow- 
ness with which sown lawns mature, the quality of their 
resulting sward is usually far superior to that obtained 
by laying turf. The mixing of grass seed has been 
reduced to a fine art. Special mixtures are prepared for 
various soils, elaborate precautions are taken to ensure 
purity, and the percentage of vitality is carefully tested. 
In the small garden, however, we need not study the 
question with the minuteness necessary to the proper 
formation of lawns on which games — bowls, tennis, 
croquet, etc. — are to be played. The cottage lawn will 
be entirely satisfactory if the greensward is close and 
even, good to look at, and pleasant to walk upon. The 
cost of preparing ground for either turf or seed is practi- 
cally identical ; the rest is really a matter of convenience 
and the length of one's purse. 

Drainage is of first importance. A simple test will > 
reveal the necessity or otherwise for artificial draining : 



LAWNS AND GRASS PLOTS 13 

During the winter dig a few holes, 2 feet deep, at 
intervals over the proposed site ; if water accumulates 
in stagnant pools at the bottom of the holes, it is evident 
that steps must be taken to rid the ground of its super- 
fluous moisture. Good lawns cannot be expected on 
undrained clays or on land which is sour and bog-like. 
As the actual laying of pipes can only be undertaken by 
a practical man, well versed in such matters, it will be 
unnecessary to describe the exact process. The work 
should be put in hand early, as owing to subsequent 
sinking of the soil it is unwise to turf or sow newly 
drained land until six months have elapsed. The size of 
the pipes will depend in some measure upon the rainfall 
of the district, but, as a rule, 2-inch pipes are suitable 
for the smaller drains and 3-inch for the main which 
carries the water away to the outlet. It is not necessary 
to lay them at any great depth, 18 inches at the upper 
end with a fall of 6 inches^ making 2 feet deep at the 
main, being sufficient. If the smaller drains are laid in 
rows 15 feet apart, entering the main or larger pipe at 
an acute angle, surplus moisture will quickly pass away. 

As grasses are surface rooting plants, deep digging is 
not needed. Providing that the soil is stirred to a depth 
of 12 inches, and that all large stones are removed, the 
demands of the roots even in the driest summers will be 
amply met. Too great stress cannot be laid upon the 
need for absolute uniformity in all preparatory work ; 
by that I mean that ground intended for a lawn shall be 
stirred to an even depth throughout, and that the suc- 
cessive layers of soil shall be of precisely the same 
character in all parts. It often happens that when 
levelling up uneven ground, material is brought from 
other parts of the garden to fill existing hollows, or that 
the top-soil is stripped from the higher ground and used 
for raising the slopes. Hundreds of lawns have been 
spoilt in this way, and their owners are at a loss to 



14 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



assign a reason for the uneven, patchy appearance of the 
turf. The explanation is this : Grass varies in colour 
and texture as it grows on heavy or light soil ; an almost 
insignificant excess of clay will produce a perceptible 
difference in the character of the turf. It therefore 
follows that if one part of the ground is surfaced with 
natural top-soil whose removal has laid bare the subsoil 
in another, the lawn grasses will speedily index the 
diversity of the ground in which the roots are feeding. 
This is a point worth considering, especially as it is one 
often overlooked by professionals." 

The best soil — a light, friable loam for preference — 
should be spread over the surface, all lumps and irregu- 
larities being carefully broken down. The lower layers 
may consist of coarser and more retentive soil, mixing 
manure and ballast, should such be needed, as the work 
proceeds. When finished the ground should be trodden 
closely and a perfectly level surface attained by the use 
of guide pegs, straight edge, and spirit level. In laying 
turf, allow half an inch between the joints, and settle 
the whole by gentle beating with the turf-beater. If 
the sods are higher in one place than another, they 
should be lifted and the soil scraped away from under- 
neath ; beating the turf flat causes the edges of the 
adjoining sods to be pressed into contact, and in a short 
time unsightly ridges appear. Fine, sifted soil should 
now be spread over the grass, working it into the 
hollows and crevices until a perfect surface has been 
secured. After a few heavy rains have fallen, go care- 
fully over the lawn and take out all weeds ; then give 
another dressing of sifted soil to fill up the depressions 
caused by subsidence. If the turf is not of the best, it 
will be advisable to sow grass seed liberally in March. 
During the first season roll the lawn frequently with a 
light roller, and when cutting see that the knives of the 
machine are not set too low. So much for turfing 



LAWNS AND GRASS PLOTS 15 

When the lawn is to be produced entirely by seeding, 
somewhat different methods will naturally be employed. 
After the general levelling of the surface, a close, fine 
tilth must be secured by a systematic course of rolling 
and raking. Satisfactory germination is not possible in 
rough, lumpy soil. After each raking, roll the ground 
firmly, changing the direction on each occasion. Unless 
the soil is already rich, a dressing of one or other of the 
concentrated lawn fertilisers should be given, applying 
it a fortnight before the date fixed upon for seeding. 
Spring sowings are preferable to those made in autumn ; 
from the middle of March to the end of April being the 
best time. A whole chapter might easily be devoted to 
discussing the several kinds of lawn grasses, their suita- 
bility or otherwise for various soils, and the proportions 
and ingredients of the numerous mixtures. Such 
questions, however, are outside the scope of the present 
work. Any nurseryman of repute will supply a good 
mixture, and if the class of soil — heavy, light, peat, 
loam, or sand — is specified, its composition may with 
safety be left to him. 

In actual sowing, be generous in the matter of quantity. 
The fine grasses of which lawn mixtures are composed 
do not spread like the coarser meadow varieties, and 
niggardly sowing will cause patches and bare spots 
which, besides looking unsightly, have to be filled in 
later. A bushel of seed is none too much to sow a 
quarter acre lawn, and this quantity if regularly distributed 
will produce a close sward, at the same time allowing 
for probable losses in the way of non-germination and 
the depredations of birds. A calm, windless day must 
be chosen for sowing and the seed should be scattered 
evenly. It is, moreover, better to sow half the quantity 
first, distributing it from left to right across the ground ; 
afterwards repeat the operation with the second half, 
only in this case working lengthways, so that the first 

6 



1 6 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



sowing is crossed at right angles. Lightly rake the 
surface so as to just cover the seed with fine soil, after 
which the roller must be passed over the ground both 
lengthways and across. 

As a rule, the watering of newly sown lawns is to be 
avoided, nor is it usually needed if the soil is already 
moist and the seed germinates quickly. Should very 
dry weather occur it may be advisable to cover the 
ground with cocoa-nut fibre; a thin layer is sufficient, 
and it is unnecessary to remove it later as the grass 
shoots will grow through it. When the grass is 3 
inches high it should be cut with a sharp scythe, this 
being preferable in every way to the use of the 
mowing machine. The latter frequently damages new 
lawns, especially if the knives are not properly set ; 
scything further encourages a close sward, and the fact 
that the grass is allowed to remain and act as a mulch 
greatly promotes active growth in a dry season. For 
this reason, the box should be detached from the machine 
should the latter be used during a hot summer. 

Regular rolling and cutting will tend to keep a lawn 
green and beautiful. A light roller must be used until 
the grasses have made plenty of root fibres ; after that 
a heavier implement will be needed. Never roll turf 
when there is a trace of frost in the ground, nor is it 
wise to do so when the earth is parched and baked 
with drought. Dewy mornings in spring and autumn 
are the best time, and the worker should not hurry but 
go slowly over every square inch of the lawn. No 
matter how carefully a lawn has been formed, a certain 
number of weeds are bound to appear. If permitted to 
remain they will spread, gradually ousting the grasses 
until the ground is covered entirely with plantains, 
daisies, and dandelions. Daisies should be grubbed up 
with an old table fork ; plantains and dandelions may be 
similarly treated, but as it is usually impossible to get 



ROCK PLANTS AT MESSRS. BEES' NURSERIES 



LAWNS AND GRASS PLOTS 17 

out the whole of the tap root, salt should be sprinkled 
on the cut surfaces to prevent fresh growth. In 
careful hands, the larger weeds may be eradicated by 
piercing a wooden skewer, dipped in strong carbolic 
acid, through the centres of the plants. However, it 
does not do to give such powerful fluids into the hands 
of careless folk, who would probably ruin their clothes, 
if no worse. 

The so-called fairy rings are sometimes troublesome 
and unsightly, and one is frequently asked for a remedy. 
The rings of dark-coloured grass are caused by an 
excess of nitrogenous matter in the soil, consequent on 
the decay of certain small fungi. To obtain food sup- 
phes the latter are obliged to break fresh ground each 
season, so that the original spot becomes an ever-widening 
circle. Whilst little can be done in the way of im- 
mediate cure, it is probable that the occurrence of 

rings " points to poverty or unhealthiness of the lawn. 
The use of manure, either in the form of one of the 
regular lawn fertilisers or a dressing of wood ashes, will 
usually improve matters, and in any case tend to make 
the rings less conspicuous. 



CHAPTER III 



HARDY FLOWER BORDERS 

<<On this bed I read the history of the year. Here were the first 
snowdrops ; here came the crocuses, the daffodils, the blue gentians, 
the columbines, the great globed peonies ; and, last, the lilies and the 
roses." — George Milner. 

The cottage garden is first and foremost a home for 
flowers, and to make it worthy of its treasures must be 
the aim of all good gardeners. Not only do we want 
flowers, but we want them in endless profusion, in 
variety, and at all seasons of the year. From January 
to December there should be bloom and colour and 
fragrance in the garden; flowers dying, but in their 
death giving place to others ; green shoots pushing 
their way through the fallen leaves of their predecessors ; 
dwarf plants carpeting the earth ; life, movement, fresh- 
ness everywhere ; never a moment's pause, nor a single 
suggestion of finality. The summer garden must ever 
be the most beautiful, because we in this grey, northern 
climate long for warmth and colour ; but the garden of 
winter may be beautiful too, and in spring and autumn 
even more so. The secret of the ideal garden is its 
perennial charm ; it exists not for a few months or 
weeks of fleeting loveliness, but for so long as we care 
to enjoy it. It is a sad waste of opportunity to limit 
the real life of a garden to spring and summer days, 
contenting ourselves with bare earth and empty borders 
for the rest of the year. Flowers should be with us 
always, and in seeking the best ways in which to grow 

i8 



HARDY FLOWER BORDERS 19 

them, we must give preference to methods which impose 
no limits upon their life and usefulness. 

The hardy flower border — not necessarily the herb- 
aceous border — is the simplest and by far the most 
effective arrangement of plants for the small garden. 
For cottage gardens it may be said to be the only 
system. Not only does it permit of flowers being seen 
in their natural grace and beauty, but it is the most 
economical and least artificial of all schemes of culture. 
Its great charm is its permanence, and it may here be 
remarked that no method of flower growing which 
entails constant planting and replanting, transference of 
seedlings to pots and boxes, raising in hothouses with 
subsequent hardening off in frames, has anything to 
recommend it for the style of garden we are considering. 
Summer bedding has been the ruin of English gardens, 
and has done more than anything to stifle in people's 
minds the love of flowers for their own sake. To fill 
each year a certain set of beds with the same stereotyped 
contents, to propagate geraniums by the thousand and 
set them in stiff rows, in triangles, circles, ellipses, and 
squares, is not gardening any more than the designing 
of linoleums and mosaic is art. It is a dull, mechanical 
process involving dexterity without taste, labour without 
understanding ; regarded aesthetically, economically, and 
by its results, " bedding-out " has nothing to recommend 
it ; it is merely a stupid effort to keep alive the tradi- 
tions of an epoch, which from the point of view of 
artistic achievement was barren and commonplace to a 
degree. 

A vast number of beautiful hardy flowers lend them- 
selves admirably to a permanent system of planting, fore- 
most among them being such old-fashioned favourites as 
Hollyhocks, Delphiniums, Iris, Gaillardias, Sunflowers, 
Campanulas, Anemones, Asters, Poppies, Paeonies, 
Pyrethrum, and Montbretia. With these, the fragrant 



20 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



Tea Roses, Spring bulbs and dwarf carpeting plants — 
Hepaticas, Saxifrages, Stonecrops, and Double Prim- 
roses — permanent borders may be filled to overflowing. 
Instead of aimless dotting," we may have fine masses 
of individual flowers which will increase in strength and 
beauty yearly. It is a common mistake to suppose that 
small gardens demand a microscopic and detailed arrange- 
ment of their contents, or that bold grouping is out of 
place unless the surroundings are wide and open. The 
contrary is the case ; nothing tends to further restrict 
the apparent size of a small garden than the adoption 
of petty, irritating systems of planting. Strange though 
it may seem, boldly massed plants of fine colour and 
form actually convey a greater impression of space than 
do a corresponding number of less showy kinds chosen 
with a view to proportion. Lack of courage is fatal to 
any form of art, and this especially where gardens are 
concerned. Designers and planters alike show this 
spirit of timidity. New features are planned, but lest 
they should prove unsatisfactory — in other words, un- 
conventional — they are planned inconspicuously ; at 
any rate," says the designer, I shall be safe, as 
supposing the effect is bad, it will never be noticed." 
And so he adopts the policy of hedging " — copies 
other men's ideas, arranges safe " combinations of 
colour, and all the time forgets that every garden, 
no matter how small, calls for individual expression 
and an original style of treatment. 

The preparation of borders for permanent planting 
demands exceptional thoroughness. Seeing that they 
will remain practically untouched for years, everything 
depends upon the manner in which they have been 
treated at the outset. Good drainage is the first con- 
sideration, and without it there will be little chance of 
securing healthy bloom during the winter months. To 
lightly dig and manure a piece of ground, plant it with 



HARDY FLOWER BORDERS 21 

permanent things, and imagine that it will remain a 
flower garden for more than a couple of seasons, is 
a fallacy. As a house which is to stand must have a 
substantial foundation, so must a flower border which 
shall not speedily degenerate into a litter of straggling, 
sickly plants. Having marked out the sites for borders 
— and these should be in open positions, as far removed 
as possible from overhanging trees and shrubs — the earth 
should be removed to a depth of at least two and a half 
feet. This may seem a considerable undertaking, but 
nothing less will do. Fill the bottom of the trench with 
a 6-inch layer of broken bricks, tiles, stone, or other 
rough material, for ensuring the freest possible drainage. 
Above this spread a few inches of coarse ashes to prevent 
the soil from filling the interstices between the bricks. 
The bedding compost, with which the remaining 2- 
feet depth of trench is filled, must be carefully prepared 
with a mixture of good, loamy soil, manure, sand, and 
decayed vegetable matter. It is not sufficient that the 
original earth be returned ; in all probability it is poor, 
sour stufl", from which all plant nourishment has long 
been abstracted. For border making nothing exceeds 
in value top-spit loam from an old pasture field ; this is 
not easily obtained, though occasionally it may be pro- 
cured for the mere cost of carting. In any case, the soil 
used should be such that its fertility has not been im- 
paired by years of hard cropping. Equal parts of loam, 
sand, and vegetable fibre make an ideal combination, 
and, manure being given from time to time in the form 
of top dressing, will sustain the border plants in health 
and vigour for a number of years. The earth must be 
allowed to settle before planting, and any sinking below 
the proper level be made good by the addition of more 
compost. 

A border made thus will prove a revelation as to what 
may be done with hardy perennial plants. Every square 



22 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



inch of surface can be covered with a growth of living 
things, beautiful and interesting throughout the year. 
In summer the soil will be cool and moist, its depth 
enabling slender root fibres to thrust their way down- 
ward far below the wilting influence of even the most 
scorching sun. In winter there will be no risk of its 
becoming cold and waterlogged, the drainage being 
ample to carry off any surplus moisture. Consequently 
the plants are always healthy ; roots secure from decay ; 
bulbs, maturing, by Nature's secret processes, bloom and 
leaf spike wherewith to greet the Spring ; a million life 
forces nourished, lulled, and quickened by the kindly 
earth to fulfil in due season their appointed destiny. 

In choosing positions for permanent borders it is 
unnecessary to hamper oneself with orthodox rules. 
Their suitability for the class of plants which will 
occupy them is the only consideration of any import- 
ance ; unlike the stereotyped flower beds of geometrical 
outline they look well anywhere, and are equally suited 
to gardens of small or large extent. For the choicer 
plants an open, sunny situation is best, though care 
must be taken that it is not wind-swept. High winds 
are indeed the greatest menace to the culture of hardy 
border plants, whose height and luxuriance render them 
particularly susceptible to damage. The provision of 
shelter, so easily attained by the judicious planting of 
suitable shrubs, is always the first care of the gardener 
who studies the needs of flowers. Wide borders of 
perennials flanking the main pathway of the cottage 
garden are perhaps the commonest and most delightful 
way of securing appreciation for this particular feature. 
Filled with boldly massed plants of fine form and 
colour, we have a bright yet dignified approach to the 
smallest dwelling. In these flanking borders we would 
plant all the best of the hardy flowers, and by thoughtful 
arrangement secure an almost uninterrupted succession 



HARDY FLOWER BORDERS 23 



of bloom. Lilies in variety; Gladioli, glorious in colour; 
Delphiniums, bluer than summer skies ; Aquilegias and 
stately Hollyhocks ; Gaillardias, Autumn Anemones, 
Pinks and myriad-flowered Asters ; flaming Torch 
Lilies and scented Paeonies ; lavender and steel-blue 
Sea Hollies, both delightful tone contrasts to their 
gay companions ; Dielytra, feathery Spiraeas, Phloxes, 
Pyrethrum, and Evening Primrose ; scarlet Salvias and 
fragrant Rocket. Spring would fiind the borders 
bright with gold and blue and silver — Narcissi, Grape 
Hyacinths, and Scillas ; Snowflakes, Crocuses, and sheets 
of Tufted Pansies. In winter there may be Christmas 
Roses and Alpine Heaths, the rich green foliage of 
Saxifrage and Rockfoil, Iris Stylosa in warm^ places, and 
all the wondrous combinations of tender colour as dis- 
played in the stems of many herbaceous plants. It is a 
bad plan to cut down these stems in autumn; rather should 
they be allowed to remain to give us beautiful effects in 
the winter garden. 

At the back of the path borders we might arrange 
grass plots, unbroken stretches of turf as large as the 
size of the garden will permit. Grass is desirable in 
the smallest garden, but it should never be cut up into 
beds. Fringing the miniature lawns, a planting of 
choice flowering shrubs would look well, and would 
help to ensure privacy and a degree of shelter. Between 
these shrubs and the grass, space could be found for a 
further planting of good herbaceous things, only these 
must be chosen from a class of plants which does not 
object to partial shade and the encroachment of shrub 
roots. By far the most effective way of securing these 
shrub and plant combinations, is to group the former so 
that they present an irregular margin with frequent 
recesses and embrasures running inwards from the 
grass edge. In these may be planted colonies of fine- 
leaved Ferns, Foxgloves, Solomon's Seal, Day Lilies, 



24 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



and Acanthus. Cover the earth with a growth of 
Woodruff, evergreen Candytuft, and St John's Wort, 
whilst shade-loving climbers of slender habit may 
clothe the stronger shrubs with a filmy veil of tender 
green. 

There is another position in which permanent borders 
may be made, and that is beside the actual walls of the 
cottage. Too seldom we see advantage taken of this 
ideal site, but when we do we are bound to realise the 
charm of such arrangement. Objection is sometimes 
made to the growing of flowers close to the house, the 
usual reason given in such circumstances being that they 
are productive of damp. The same mistaken notion 
exists in some minds with regard to ivy and other 
creepers, whereas a moment's thought should serve to 
justify their presence on the score that they are far more 
likely to absord moisture than produce it. Properly 
drained borders are never likely to injure the fabric of 
walls, and cottage dwellings demand, above all things, 
close association with flowers and graceful climbers. 
Bare stretches of gravel seldom look well even when 
surrounding houses of considerable size and some artistic 
pretension ; their effect is cold, dreary, and formal 
where a homely cottage is concerned. Nor can turf 
be regarded as other than a troublesome and unsatis- 
factory substitute. To keep grass evenly trimmed 
when it is allowed to grow close up to walls, entails 
a vast amount of labour, and the constant blunting of 
shears. The laying down of turf further negatives the 
use of such delightful wall coverings as Clematis, Roses, 
and Jasmine. Borders filled with gay perennials give, 
on the other hand, ample scope for wall gardening, and 
in themselves form an exquisite setting to almost every 
style of building. 

Borders close against the house can be utilised for 
growing all the choicest plants at our command. If the 



HARDY FLOWER BORDERS 



aspect is sheltered and sunny — and the cottage should 
always be situated so that the living rooms may be 
filled with sunshine — we may make a border and fill it 
with slightly tender plants, which, happy in such 
positions, would probably suffer in the more exposed 
parts of the garden. A special feature might be made 
of scented flowers whose summer fragrance would enter 
the open windows, filling the whole house with delicate 
freshness. I remember with gratitude a tiny cottage 
drawing-room, a dainty vision of white and green and 
old satin-wood furniture; through the open windows 
came the cool evening breeze perfumed with the breath 
of night-scented Stocks, which had been planted in just 
such a border as we are considering. 

It is important when making these house borders that 
they shall be of a width directly proportionate to the 
size of the building. If too wide, they dwarf the 
cottage ; if too narrow, they look poor and insignificant. 
Six feet is the maximum depth permissible for small 
houses, and considerably less will be ample for cottage 
and one storey buildings. As to plants for filling them, 
choice should be made from varieties of moderate habit : 
avoid coarse growing things like the larger Poppies, and 
also such tall plants as Sunflowers, Hollyhocks, and 
Delphiniums, which would tend to rise above the 
windows and exclude light. Lilies, Irises, and the 
best kinds of Tea Roses are especially suitable, also 
Dielytra, Stocks, Carnations, Wallflowers, scented 
Paeonies, and Chelone. Climbers should be planted at 
the back, and encouraged to clothe the walls in free and 
graceful ways. No systematic training or nailing should 
be attempted, and, above all. Ivy, with its sombre, dusty 
foliage and greedy roots, must be banished from the 
vicinity. A well-coloured wall, either of mellow brick 
or warm grey stone, is in itself a delightful background 
for flowering plants. For this reason, it should not be 



26 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



too closely covered with creepers, but merely relieved 
from bareness by a light drapery of Vine, Wistaria, and 
Rose. 

To provide colour and greenness during winter, the 
border may be well planted with a carpeting of hardy 
Alpines — Stonecrops, Rockfoils, Partridge Berry, and 
the dwarf Heaths. In spring, these will be pierced with 
the leaf and bloom-spikes of Crocuses, Snowdrops, Scillas, 
and the choicer varieties of Narcissi ; later on, Spanish 
Irises and Fritillaries will take their places. In summer 
the border may overflow with good things, autumn find- 
ing it still fair with late Tea Roses, Cardinal Flowers, 
and Autumn Crocuses. I have drawn particular atten- 
tion to this style of border, as it is perhaps the most 
beautiful of all, more intimate certainly than those in 
other parts of the garden, bringing to our very windows 
the fairest flowers of the year. For very small gardens 
it is, indeed, the way of all others in which to provide 
an ideal setting for a building, be it featureless or of 
good design. 

Before giving the names of suitable plants for mixed 
borders, it may be well to briefly enumerate the points 
which should be observed in making and stocking them : 
(l) Thoroughly prepare the borders by deep digging, 
the provision of ample drainage, and the use of freshly 
composted soil. (2) Remove the existing soil to a depth 
of at least 2^ feet before inserting the drainage material. 

(3) Let the borders be few in number, but of such size 
that they may form bold features in the garden scene. 

(4) Avoid the proximity of trees, and also heavily 
shaded positions ; shrubbery borders must be filled with 
specially robust plants. (5) Ensure almost perpetual 
bloom by choosing plants which flower in succession. 

(6) Use only hardy plants, and the best of each genus. 

(7) If plants fail, insert others in their place, carefully 
tending them until they have become established. 



HARDY FLOWER BORDERS 27 

(8) Well-grown annuals may be given a place in the 
mixed border, but the majority of plants should be 
perennials. (9) Provide winter colour by the inclusion 
of evergreen rock plants, and allow the stems and foliage 
of certain herbaceous things to stand uncut until early 
spring. (10) Ensure variety, and pay particular regard 
to colour combinations. (11) Remove plants only as 
they become worn out and overcrowded. 



Hardy Border Plants. 



Acanthus 


Eryngium. 


CEnothera. 


Achillea. 


Funkia 


Paeonies. 


Adonis. 


Gaillardia. 


Penstemon. 


Aquilegia. 


Gentiana. 


Phlox. 


Armeria. 


Geum. 


Polemonium. 


Asters. 


Gypsophila. 


Polygonatum. 


Bocconia. 


Heleniums. 


Poppies. 


Campanulas. 


Helianthemum. 


Primula. 


Catananche. 


Helianthus. 


Pyrethrum. 


Centaurea. 


Helleborus. 


Ranunculus. 


Cheiranthus. 


Hemerocallis. 


Roses. 


Chelone. 


Hesperis. 


Rudbeckia. 


Coreopsis. 


Hollyhocks. 


Salvia. 


Delphinium. 


Kniphofia. 


Scabious. 


Dianthus. 


Lavandula. 


Spiraeas. 


Dictamnus. 


Lobelia. 


Tiarella. 


Dielytra. 


Lupins. 


Trollius. 


Digitalis. 


Lychnis, 


Verbascum. 


Doronicum. 


Malva. 




Erigeron. 


Monarda. 





Bulbous and Tuberous-rooted Plants. 



Alstrbmeria. 

Amaryllis. 

Anemones. 



Anthericum. 
Calochortus. 
Chionodoxa. 



Colchicum. 

Crocus. 

Erythronium. 



28 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



Fritillarias. 
Galanthus. 
Gladioli. 
Iris. 

Leucojum. 



Liliums. 

Montbretia. 

Muscari. 

Narcissi. 

Ornithogalum. 



Ranunculus. 

Schizostylus. 

Scilla. 

Trillium. 

Tulips. 



Dwarf Plants for Carpeting. 



Arabis, 
Aubrietia. 
Linaria. 
Primula. 



Saponaria. 
Saxifrage. 
Sedum. 
Sempervivum. 



Thyme. 

Veronica. 

Viola. 



A selection from the foregoing will more than suffice 
for the Cottage Garden. If any well-known plants have 
been omitted, it is probably because they are not alto- 
gether hardy, or are of too coarse a habit for borders of 
moderate extent. It is unfortunate for many reasons 
that when giving lists of plants, it should be necessary 
in most cases to employ their Latin names. Much as I 
prefer to speak of flowers by their everyday names, the 
practice in writing tends to much confusion, besides 
occupying a larger amount of space. 



CHAPTER IV 

ANNUALS AND BIENNIALS 

So much attention is devoted nowadays to herbaceous 
perennials that we are in danger of neglecting many 
families of beautiful flowering plants of less permanent 
character. Apart from the fact that many of our most 
cherished garden flowers are of annual or biennial dura- 
tion — Sweet Peas, Mignonette, Gaillardias, Scabious, 
Evening Primroses and fragrant Nicotiana, to mention 
but a few — we must remember that no other class of 
plants is capable of fulfilling quite the same degree of 
usefulness. Were it not for annuals, newly made 
gardens would be practically barren of flowers until 
the second season ; as it is we may have an abundance 
of bloom and colour within a few months. A severe 
winter will often levy toll upon the gay company of the 
herbaceous border, so that the coming of spring reveals 
blanks and earth spaces which must somehow be filled. 
Even supposing that there is a reserve supply of per- 
ennials, it is usually too late to move them with safety, 
and in any case the chances of their rapid establishment 
are exceedingly doubtful. By filling the bare patches 
with April sown annuals, summer will find the border 
as good as ever, and if certain colour schemes have 
been arranged, the choice of annuals is so great that we 
can generally supply any particular shade or combina- 
tion to replace that which is lost. Then again there are 
many who use their cottage homes as summer residences 
only, closing them during the winter and early months 

29 



30 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



of spring. The gardens, neglected as they must be for 
half the year, cannot be expected to fulfil the expecta- 
tion of summer beauty unless they are subjected to 
annual replanting and renovation. For house decora- 
tion, too, annual flowers are of supreme value; the 
more they are cut the more freely is bloom produced. 
And if their true place is in the reserve garden, they are 
equally welcome in other situations, in beds and borders, 
as carpeting plants between Roses and flowering shrubs, 
in the joints and crevices of old walls, by hedgerow and 
stream-side, anywhere in fact where space can be found 
to drop a few seeds or root-hold secured for thinnings 
and spare plants. 

One great advantage of annuals consists in the long 
period over which they may be induced to flower, 
following the simple expedient of making successional 
sowings of most hardy kinds from March onwards until 
June. But in this we must take into consideration both 
soil and locality. Late sowings are seldom satisfactory 
in hot, dry summers, or on land which is light and 
unretentive of moisture. We must then sow early, 
that the young plants may have made plenty of root 
growth before the advent of warm days. In deep, 
loamy soils which are well drained, both early and late 
sowings are permissible. The happiest conditions for 
annuals are found in northern gardens, where there is 
generally mist and coolness all through the summer 
months. I have never seen finer flowers than those 
growing in the Cottage Gardens of the English Lake 
District ; but there the trying months of July and 
August are often wet, and the presence of water and 
morning haze produces just those atmospheric conditions 
that are ideal for the growth of plants. In the south 
and in places where summer rainfall is limited, annuals 
suffer much from the effects of drought, and in ex- 
ceptionally dry seasons, of which, however, we have 



ANNUALS AND BIENNIALS 31 

experienced few of late years, it may be necessary to 
water freely in order to keep them alive. But it 
frequently happens that an ill-prepared soil and the 
overcrowding of plants is responsible for more losses 
among flowers of this class than can be traced to any 
natural shortcomings. 

If left to themselves, annuals shed their seeds in 
autumn at the conclusion of the flowering period ; 
these, in the case of the hardier kinds, germinate at 
once, and the young plants attain fair strength and 
size before the arrival of winter puts an end to further 
growth. Remaining dormant until spring showers and 
sunshine loosen and warm the soil, they then make 
rapid headway, and flower much earlier than their 
fellows. Autumn-sown plants are immeasurably 
stronger than those whose seed has been saved until 
spring, and in sheltered places and with all such 
varieties as are able to withstand the stress of winter, 
Nature's way should be followed. A few carefully 
prepared beds in the reserve garden, or a section of the 
espalier or fruit border, would serve as a seed ground, 
the soil being raked fine and the seeds sown in drills. 
The seedlings must be thinned as soon as large enough, 
and may be planted out in permanent positions durmg 
October, or left where they are until March. 

Half-hardy annuals comprise some of the best of 
garden flowers, and although common usage has asso- 
ciated most of them with the stereotyped bedding-out 
system, there is no reason why they should not be 
used in other and prettier ways. Phlox Drummondi, 
so varied in colour, and beautiful when used as a 
carpeting plant for beds of Tea Roses and flowering 
shrubs ; Verbenas, brilliant through summer and 
autumn ; Balsams, dwarf Snapdragons and fragrant 
Heliotrope ; Ageratum, charming with its note of pale 
lavender in the mixed border ; Pyrethrums, Nicotiana, 
c 



32 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



Dianthus, and glowing Salvias — all may be raised in 
pans in heat in January and February, and will be ready 
for the open ground by May. Those who are without 
a heated greenhouse or hotbed must defer sowing until 
early April, placing the seed pans in a cold frame facing 
south, when the majority will germinate freely in fine 
soil. They will even thrive if sown in the open in their 
flowering positions, but May is the earliest time for out- 
door sowings and the provision of light, loamy soil is 
necessary to ensure success. It is a pity that so many 
of these delightful half-hardy things should have hitherto 
been badly used ; the nurseryman and the street-hawker 
with his boxes of pinched, sickly seedlings have blinded 
us to the real beauty of the so-called bedding plants 
when used in free and unconventional ways. The much 
abused Lobelia becomes an exquisite thing when we 
cease to associate it with the everlasting scarlet Geranium 
and yellow Calceolaria. In spreading tufts and patches 
among perennial plants, its intense blue is wonderfully 
effective; I never realised its value until I saw it used as 
a dwarf carpeting plant to beds of pink Carnations. It 
will be a good day for our gardens when we learn to 
separate half-hardy annuals from the idea of carpet- 
bedding ; there is no need to grow them apart from 
other flowers, their rightful place being the mixed 
border, where, in scattered colonies among other things, 
they are especially happy. 

Strictly speaking, biennial plants are those which 
produced from seed in one year, flower the year follow- 
ing, ripen seed, and then perish. But we need not 
concern ourselves much with botanical definitions, which 
are liable to considerable modification and exception. 
In favoured districts many biennials" flower during 
the same year in which they are sown, whilst precocious 
specimens are for ever contravening accepted rules as to 
their blooming period and limit of endurance. By 



ANNUALS AND BIENNIALS 



treating them in precisely similar way to autumn-sown 
annuals, we shall save ourselves much difficulty and 
confusion, and with reasonable care an abundance of 
strong, healthy plants should be available for filling up 
vacant spaces during late autumn and spring. Certain 
flowers, although not strictly biennials, are best treated 
as such, among them being the Pansies, Violas, Holly- 
hocks, Sweet Williams, and Chimney Campanulas. 
These do not die after the second season in the manner 
of true biennials, but as the quality of their bloom 
deteriorates so greatly and general unhealthiness is the 
usual accompaniment of later years, it is best to con- 
stantly renew the stock of plants by fresh sowings. 

The great point to be observed in growing both 
annuals and biennials is to practise early and rigorous 
thinning. It is almost impossible to convince some 
people that one well-grown plant is worth a dozen 
starved and overcrowded specimens, or that, given 
plenty of space and rich soil, individuals are capable of 
developing into size and luxuriance equal, if not exceed- 
ing, that of many herbaceous perennials. Much of the 
prejudice against these short-lived plants has arisen from 
the poor ways in which they have been grown, and the 
feeble habit they have in consequence attained. We 
have only to notice a single plant of Mignonette, which 
has been perhaps overlooked and allowed to grow away 
in isolation in a rich kitchen garden border, to realise 
the splendid capabilities of many similar flowers. Plants 
which in overcrowded beds scarcely grow more than a 
few inches in height, if given all the room they ask, will 
surprise us by their strength and beauty. The fact 
that seed of most varieties is cheap and plentiful should 
enable us to thin out and discard young plants without 
thought of extravagance. 

As to the best ways in which annual and biennial 
plants may be used at various seasons, we should 



34 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



consider chiefly their value for spring and autumn 
gardens. In summer the company of herbaceous 
perennials are at their best, and with the Roses in full 
bloom there is no lack of colour and variety. The good 
gardener laments most of all the **olF seasons," and 
would gladly make the pageant of flowers continuous if 
he could find plants capable of bridging the intervals 
between the chief periods of bloom. That is precisely 
what annuals may be used for, and whether as successors 
to the departing brilliance of the spring bulbs, or as 
forerunners to the Dahlias, Torch Lilies, and other true 
autumn flowers, we may employ them as connecting 
links in the great chain of floral beauty. But to get the 
best results we must break away from the old, stereo- 
typed ways, and, in the spring garden, group bold 
masses of autumn-sown annuals without regard to 
symmetrical outline. Forget-me-Nots, which are best 
treated as annuals, are among the most badly used of 
spring flowers, and yet assuredly they are as delightful 
as any. Contrast the stifle, compact lines of Myosotis 
surrounding beds of yellow Auriculas or Pansies in the 
way practised by the orthodox lawn bedder, with the 
same flower giving tesselated sheets of azure on the 
ground between shrubs or in cool, half-shady places. 
The annual Candytufts (I. umbellata) are invaluable for 
the early flower border, and in rich soil spread and 
flower abundantly. Both they and the Rocket Candy- 
tufts (I. coronaria) should be sown in autumn, and from 
April until July the bold masses of white, crimson, 
purple, carmine, and pink are among the showiest 
things in the garden. Godetias, in many colours, are 
adapted for the same purpose, and succeed with similar 
treatment. On warm soils nothing can be better than 
the Intermediate Stocks, which, sown in July or 
August, flower during spring ; they may also be sown 
in March for autumn display. The Brompton and 



ANNUALS AND BIENNIALS 



Queen Stocks are biennials, and must be sown in June 
to flower the following summer. It is unfortunate that 
the wintering of these beautiful plants should often 
occasion difficulty, but they are well worth protection 
if the situation is at all exposed. Nemophila insignis 
is another good plant for spring flowering, and, 
like most of the hardy Californian annuals, is best 
sown in autumn, and afforded slight winter shelter 
if needed. 

The summer months bring us a host of beautiful 
annuals, and, provided that they have all the moisture 
needed, they flower freely and brilliantly into Sep- 
tember. From seeds sown in April we may have, 
amongst others, the annual Poppies, descendants mostly 
of the common scarlet Corn Poppy (P. Rhaeas). The 
double varieties known as French Poppies are of almost 
every shade, but even they have been surpassed by the 
Shirleys, so exquisite that they alone might almost form 
a garden. Seed must be sown thinly where the plants 
are to bloom, and early thinning is necessary. The best 
situations for these flowers are the less highly-cultivated 
parts of the garden ; they look particularly well growing 
near sunny banks or in colonies beside the orchard path- 
way. The Larkspurs, not to be confused with the tall 
herbaceous Delphiniums, are wonderfully effective, and 
in addition to great range of colour, display varying 
habit, from the dwarf forms of D. Ajacis to the splendid 
Branched Larkspurs (D. consolidum). These latter are 
variously coloured, and in good soil develop into fine, 
bushy plants, covered with violet, red and flesh-tinted 
flowers, mostly double. The Larkspurs should be sown 
early in their flowering positions, and if the old stems 
are removed after blooming they will continue to open 
fresh buds until far into autumn. Annual Flaxes 
(Linum), Eschscholtzias, not forgetting the lovely 
double Crocea, Clarkias, and Sweet Sultans, are known 



36 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



to everyone, and are all of the simplest culture. Of 
annuals suitable for cutting, we may have yellow and 
red Coreopsis, single Sunflowers (Helianthus), Scabious, 
not a true biennial ; Cornflowers, and, of course. Sweet 
Peas. Sweet-scented flowers will include the Ten- 
week Stocks, and that delightful evening bloomer, the 
fragrant Tobacco Plant (N. affnis). If distinctive habit 
and foliage is needed, there are annuals like the Castor- 
oil Plant (Ricinus), which must be raised in heat and 
afterwards transferred to the open border. Maize, and 
the Hemp Plant (Cannabis), fine in groups and usually 
successful in town gardens. Besides these are numerous 
climbing plants, which may be grown in free and pretty 
ways over trellis and hedge, or as bank trailers — Con- 
volvuli ; Nasturtiums, tall and dwarf ; Canary Creeper ; 
Tropaeolum Lobbianum, in warm places ; and Gourds, 
in quaint and endless variety. 

The majority of the foregoing annuals will serve also 
for the autumn garden. All we need do to ensure a 
full display of bloom is to arrange successional sowings 
at intervals during the early summer months. "With 
many it is customary to make but one sowing of the 
chief varieties in April, with the result that most of the 
plants are out of flower by August at latest. September 
and October are often the most pleasant months in 
English gardens, and it is worth making an effort to 
secure gaiety and colour in the borders until the first 
frosts of winter. Annuals sown during June will, under 
most circumstances, flower freely from September on- 
wards. If the summer is exceptionally hot and dry it 
will probably be necessary to water seedlings, at any 
rate for a time ; but their recuperative powers are 
wonderful, and though flagged, they quickly recover 
and burst into bud and greenness with the coming of 
the autumn rains. It is possible, of course, to sow fresh 
seed where the plants are to bloom, removing for the 



ANNUALS AND BIENNIALS 



purpose the early summer annuals as they finish flower- 
ing. Should, however, there be no vacant spaces avail- 
able, the seedlings may be raised in shallow boxes and 
transplanted later, giving them plenty of water until 
they have become firmly established. Frequent cutting, 
and above all, the removal of seed pods directly they 
foim, helps to prolong the flowering period, often, in 
fact, resulting in a second crop of bloom from the same 
plants. 

A list of Annual and Biennial Plants, including also 
certain other varieties best treated as such. 



*Ageratum. 

Alyssum. 

Antirrhinum. 
*Arctotis. 
*Balsams. 

Blue Cupidone. 

Campanulas. 

Candytuft. 

Cape Marigold. 
*Castor-oil Plant. 

Centaurea. 

Centaury. 
*Chinese Pinks. 
*China Asters. 

Clarkia. 

Convolvulus. 

Coreopsis. 

Cotton Thistle. 
*Cuphea. 

Eschscholtzia. 

EveningPrimrose 

Flax. 

Foxglove. 

Gaillardia. 



Gilia. 

Godetia. 
*Gourds. 

Gypsophila. 
*Heliotrope. 

Hemp Plant. 

Hollyhock. 

Larkspur. 

Leptosiphon. 
*Lobelia. 

Love-in-a-Mist. 

Love - lies - Bleed- 
ing. 

Lupins. 
*Maize. 

Malope. 
^Marigolds. 
*Mesembryanthe- 
mum. 

Mentzelia. 
, Mignonette. 

Mullein. 

Myosotis. 

Nasturtiums. 



Nemesia. 

Nemophilia. 
*Nicotiana. 

Oxalis. 

Pansies. 
*Penstemon. 
*Petunia. 
*Phlox Drum- 

mondi. 
^Pimpernel. 

Platystemon. 
■ Polygonum. 

Poppies. 

Portulaca. 

Pot Marigold. 

Pyrethrum. 

Rocket. 

Rose Campion. 
*Salpiglossis. 
*Salvias. 

Saponaria. 

Scabious. 
*Schizanthus. 

Silene. 



38 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



*Stocks. 

Sweet Peas. 

Sweet William. 
*Thorn Apple. 

Toadflax. 



Tree Mallows. 
Tricolor Chry- 
santhemum. 
*Verbena. 



Viscaria. 
Wallflowers. 
Whitlavia, 
Zinnias. 



These marked * are half-hardy. 




A ROCK WALL AT MESSRS. BEES' NURSERIES 



CHAPTER V 



ROSES 
*«The first o* flowers." 

Burns. 

More has been written of the Rose than of any other 
flower 5 hundreds of books have been devoted ex- 
clusively to it ; it has figured in poetry and prose, in 
monograph and essay ; acres of canvas and paper 
have been covered with its pictorial representations ; 
every English gardener is supposed to be a walking 
encyclopaedia of Rose lore. Rose literature is cheap ; 
the florists' catalogues, scattered broadcast by the million 
copies and obtainable free, gratis and for nothing, are 
veritable mines of information on the subject ; hundreds 
of varieties are figured and described, and their culture 
explained minutely. There are Rose societies, Rose 
shows, men who call themselves Rosarians, gardens 
devoted exclusively to Roses ; in a word, the Rose is 
paramount. What need, then, to say anything further 
about it, when clearly there can be nothing further to 
say ? — thus the average reviewer when a new Rose book 
is thrust into his hands. At the risk of appearing para- 
doxical, I make bold to answer, that in spite of the interest 
taken in them, Roses are among the least understood 
and appreciated of all flowers ; that we rarely see them 
properly used; and that Rose shows have done more 
than anything to spoil the Rose as a decorative plant. 
Instead of valuing the Rose as a peerless beautifier of 
garden scenes, a vast number of people limit its associa- 

39 



40 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



tions to green boxes holding six or twelve " distinct 
varieties"; to stuffy tents; to muslin frocks, military 
bands, and all the wearying paraphernalia of fetes and 
flower shows. Two-thirds of the available literature on 
Roses is concerned with the raising of prize blooms, 
much of it being the work of successful exhibitors." 
All of which has resulted in the neglect of the Rose as 
an essentially decorative plant, and of ignorance as to 
its adaptability for numberless situations in the garden 
where free growing, free flowering plants are desired 
and esteemed. The cottage garden is the true home of i 
the Rose, and this chapter will suggest how Roses may \ 
best be grown and appreciated. 

In the first place let us rid ourselves of the common 
idea that Roses must always be regarded as a class of 
plants entirely distinct from the rest ; that is to say, 
that they require special treatment, special beds, special 
manuring and isolated positions. It is true that when 
Roses are grown for show purposes they are usually 
planted stiffly in borders, the ground is thickly blanketed 
with manure ; labels, pegs, and tin protectors are much in 
evidence, and once a year some remarkably fine blooms 
are produced. But this does not mean that Roses cannot 
be grown in simpler and better ways ; they can, and the 
result is far more beautiful. Grown as a show flower, 
the Rose is really a poor thing in the garden. For quite 
ten months in the year it is practically devoid of any 
beauty whatever, and as soon as its brief flowering 
period is over it becomes valueless as a decorative plant. 
As well expect beauty from a row of mops as from a 
line of standards, whose only contribution to the eternal 
pageant of the seasons is some half-dozen apiece of stiff" 
and far too perfect blooms. Standard trees should never 
be planted in Cottage Gardens. Nor is there any need 
to isolate the Rose in any way whatever ; rather should 
it be grown freely among other flowers, receiving practi- 



ROSES 



41 



cally the same treatment as they. In borders with her- 
baceous things ; on walls with hardy climbers ; over 
banks and hedges ; in shrubberies ; beside large trees ; 
covering arches, pergolas and fences ; combining in a 
hundred beautiful ways with garden flowers of every 
kind. Now that Roses are raised in such infinite variety 
of habit, and their flowering period has been prolonged 
from a few weeks to many months, there is hardly a 
position in the garden where they may not be planted 
and enjoyed. 

One of the worst features of Rose growing as usually 
practised, is the bareness of the earth surrounding the 
trees and bushes. To see the majority of Rose gardens, 
one would suppose that the queen of flowers was a 
fragile weakling, which would speedily be choked out 
of existence if other plants were allowed anywhere in 
the neighbourhood. Possibly too, the craze for winter 
mulching has something to do with it ; anyhow, we 
nearly always find that dull patches of naked earth, or, 
worse still, unsightly layers of manure and litter, are the 
backgrounds against which the brown shoots and fra- 
grant blossoms are displayed. This is the way of the 
nurseryman and the prize hunter, but no one who cares 
for flowers for their beauty in the garden will think of 
sacrificing general effect for the sake of a handful of 
show blooms. If Roses are planted in borders which 
have been properly prepared, they will remain in health 
and vigour for a number of years without the smallest 
necessity for winter mulching. Permanent systems of 
planting are much to be desired in all gardens y not that 
we may avoid labour by adopting them, but because 
they enable us to see flowers in their full measure of 
beauty, and give us interest at all seasons, even in winter. 
The continual uprooting of beds, so that hardly have 
one set of plants finished blooming before they are 
cleared away to make room for others, reminds one of a 



42 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



child's garden, whose contents are frequently examined 
to make sure that their roots are growing properly. In 
the case of Rose-beds, the existing soil should be re- 
moved to a depth of at least two and a half feet, and a 
layer of drainage material placed at the bottom, as for 
herbaceous borders. Then if a portion of the old soil 
be retained and mixed with twice its bulk of heavy loam 
from a pasture field, we shall have an ideal Rose-grow- 
ing compost for making up the beds. Hardy varieties 
of the free-blooming Teas can be planted in such 
quarters without necessity either for their removal or 
the addition of manure, for quite seven or eight years. 
Not only this, but we may replace the usual mulch by 
one of living foliage, and carpet the whole surface of 
the beds with dwarf alpines, violas and creeping rock 
plants. Against this background of shaded green, the 
colour and form of the Roses is seen to fullest advantage ; 
there is no bareness at any season ; and during hot 
summer days the earth, protected by its dense carpet, 
is never dry nor is watering in the least necessary. 

The first thing to be done in selecting Roses for the 
cottage, or any small garden, is to make sure that we 
are obtaining really hardy kinds ; secondly, that the 
varieties chosen are free and almost continuous bloomers. 
In connection with this latter point most people imagine 
that they cannot do better than plant those known as 
''Hybrid Perpetuals." This, however, is a great mis- 
take, as except for a few isolated varieties the so-called 
'' Perpetuals " are anything but that; in fact, their 
flowering period is remarkably short. One of the few 
Hybrid Perpetuals worth growing in the small garden 
is the old La France, whose pink flowers gleam among 
the dark, shining foliage far into winter; Victor 
Hugo is another constant bloomer, but speaking generally 
the Hybrid Perpetuals, though fine in flower, give little 
return for the space they occupy. 



ROSES 



43 



Of all classes of Roses, and there are many, none can 
compare for a moment with the Teas, most beautiful of 
summer flowers. Sweetly scented ; of every shade from 
pale apricot and satiny flesh to glowing crimson ; 
flowering over the longest possible period, from June 
often into December ; more graceful in habit than any 
Hybrid Perpetual, and far more lovely in foliage ; these 
are the Roses to fill the Cottage Garden with colour and 
fragrance. If we were to lose every other Rose but 
these, we should still be more than rich. Tea Roses 
have been, still are, regarded as delicate, as suitable 
only for warm and sheltered gardens, and even there 
demanding protection in winter. This is pure nonsense, 
as all who have grown the hardy kinds will agree. I 
know gardens in which nothing but Teas are grown ; 
and there, in spite of severe winters and cold winds, 
hardly a plant is lost. Throughout summer and autumn 
they are filled with Roses, the blooms produced by the 
thousand, and the air laden with their perfume. Of 
course the warmer and more sheltered the district, the 
greater the opportunities for including many delightful 
kinds ; but by exercising reasonable care in selection 
there are very few gardens where the fragrant Teas 
may not be grown in beds and borders, on fence and 
trellis, over walls and house front, clothing the earth 
with their glossy foliage and flower-laden sprays. 

The question of stock is all important where Tea 
Roses are concerned, and the fact that so many thousands 
are propagated on unsuitable stocks, the Manetti chiefly, 
has led not a little to misconceptions as to their utility 
for permanent planting. It must be remembered that 
for years nurserymen have given little thought to the 
artistic design of gardens ; their aim with Roses has 
been to produce trees which establish themselves quickly, 
and produce show blooms within a year or so of plant- 
ing. Tea Roses on the Manetti succeed in this, it is 



44 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



true, but all their energies are exhausted in this forced 
efFort ; after the first few seasons they languish, and 
finally disappear altogether. The proper stock for them 
is the Brier, and even better are the results when they 
are grown on their own roots. It is comparatively 
simple to secure a good supply of the best kinds by 
striking cuttings during autumn : or if bushes are 
bought, which in tlie first instance have been worked 
low, we may, by planting them at such depth that the 
point of union between stock and scion is below the 
surface, induce the scion to throw out its own roots and 
thus become independent of the stock. To encourage 
the emission of roots, a portion of the bark above the 
old point of union should be cut av>^ay with a sharp 
knife. Treated thus and grown in beds of deep, loamy 
soil, the Tea Roses increase in beauty and freedom 
yearly. And through their six consecutive months of 
blooming, they display the charm of constant variety ; 
each month the form of flower and foliage changes ; 
blossoms gathered in July are quite different from the 
succession crop of the same variety produced say in Sep- 
tember, although those of the latter are no less beautiful ; 
even in winter is there grace of form and subtle colour- 
ing in the leafless branches of the Tea Roses, especially 
when they are seen above a spreading carpet of ever- 
green rock plants. 

In the list at the end of this chapter will be found 
some of the best of the Climbing Teas, also the Hybrid 
Teas. The latter are a beautiful race, obtained by 
crossing the ordinary Tea with the Hybrid Perpetual. 
A few should be included in the Cottage Garden, for 
they are slightly more hardy than the parent class, and 
thus adapted to more exposed positions. The Climbing 
Teas afford, with other Roses of scandent habit, oppor- 
tunities for most delightful effects, either on wall, pillar, 
arch, trellis, or pergola. Nothing can be better in small 



ROSES 



45 



gardens than a free use of the best climbers, providing 
they are grown on simple, unpretentious supports. Space 
may be limited on the ground itself, but here, with a 
minimum of root room, we may have gardens in the very 
air itself; ropes, garlands and festoons of living flowers; 
scented branches flung high across roof and chimney- 
stack ; blossom-laden sprays draping house front and 
fence, or swinging freely in space. For it is in their 
untrammelled luxuriance that Climbing Roses are so 
beautiful, glorious descendants, many of them, of that 
precious hedgerow wilding, the common Dog Rose. 
Good soil is all they need, and never should they be 
subjected to the irksome restraint imposed by nailing 
and tying. If it be necessary to cover a certain wall or 
wreathe a pillar, one or two loose ties will suffice ; to 
spread out the long sprays and secure them at even 
distances, is to rob the rose of half its decorative charm. 
Nor should Climbing Roses be pruned in the usual 
sense of the word. The occasional removal of an old 
branch, or of one that is actually in the way, is all that is 
needed. On walls or dwelling fronts, we may have 
occasion to use the knife, but wherever space can be 
afforded for their unrestricted development, there should 
Roses be left to grow as Nature intended. Anyone 
who has seen the cascades of bloom produced year after 
year by the old-fashioned Ayrshire Roses, will not need 
reminding that any attempt at pruning or training would 
here be a sacrilege. 

Mention of Climbing Roses would be incomplete with- 
out reference to the various single varieties which of late 
years have been so vastly improved. When we realise 
that to this class we are indebted for such exquisite 
things as Paul's Carmine Pillar and the Lord Penzance 
Sweet Briers, the decorative value of single Roses is 
immediately apparent. Nearly all are vigorous climbers 
of free and wayward habit ; beautiful when massed on 



46 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



the fringes of grass plots ; in mixed shrubberies ; or 
scrambling among the branches of trees and covering i 
rough banks. Few of them require much in the way of 1 
pruning, though in the small garden they must be kept 
within bounds. I should not recommend the inclusion 
of a number of kinds in the Cottage Garden where space 
is limited, but a few should certainly be grown not only 
for the sake of their distinctive character, but because 
they extend the season over which Roses may be had in 
flower. 

Rosa Brunonis (White Indian Rose) is an astonishingly 
vigorous climber, so free, indeed, that it will speedily 
cover the whole cottage front with its trails of beautiful 
foliage and clusters of snowy flowers, each with its 
bunch of yellow stamens. It must have ample space in 
which to develop, and may be used to clothe trees and 
shrubs in many pretty ways. The Austrian Briers 
(Copper and Yellow) are valuable for Rose fences, and 
for massing on banks or rough ground. Their colour 
is very striking, and they bloom profusely. Paul's 
Carmine, a really lovely introduction, with bright car- 
mine flowers, makes a fine pillar rose, far better in many 
ways than the single white. The Penzance Sweet 
Briers commend themselves to everyone who appreciates 
the delicious fragrance of the old Sweet Brier, and who 
does not ? The improved varieties retain all the original 
sweetness of foliage, and in addition display great diver- 
sity of colouring in the flowers, which are much larger 
than those of the type. On low banks, the Japanese 
Rose (R. Wichuriana) will completely cover the ground 
with its long prostrate stems, densely clothed with dark, 
glossy foliage and white blossoms. One other single 
Rose worthy of a place is the Musk Rose (R moschata 
nivea) ; its leaves are faintly scented, and the flowers, 
borne in large clusters, are white with tufts of yellow 
anthers. The young buds of this variety are particularly 



ROSES 



47 



pretty, being suffused with a pinkish blush, and charm- 
ing when arranged in bowls and vases. Most of the 
other single Roses are too coarse in habit for small 
gardens, though many of them are beautiful, especially 
those which bear brilliant fruit clusters in autumn. The 
great merit of the foregoing kinds is the opportunity 
they offer for planting odd corners and semi-wild places 
on the outskirts of the garden proper. They must not 
be allowed to oust the Teas, which take first place, 
but by their aid many good garden pictures may be 
achieved. 

Double Climbing Roses, which include the Ramblers 
and polyantha varieties of recent introduction, form a 
very numerous class. In fact, they are almost too well 
represented, and many kinds catalogued by nurserymen 
are hardly worth growing. In the small garden we must 
take care to plant only the best ; and these, in most cases, 
will be found among the older varieties. The ubiquitous 
Crimson Rambler has, perhaps, been somewhat over- 
planted, but it is . too good to omit, and whether on pillar 
or trellis its bright green foliage and clusters of vivid 
blossoms give a note of brilliant colour. My experience 
with other forms of this popular variety has been dis- 
appointing, and in my opinion there are many better 
things than either Aglaia or Euphrosyne. No white 
pillar rose equals Aimee Vibert, which combines ex- 
treme hardiness with profuse blooming and graceful 
habit. Then there is Felicite Perpetue, with clusters of 
creamy flowers, and Lamarque, sweetly scented. Glorious 
in its coppery shoots and deep golden flowers is Reve 
d'Or, and on warm walls few kinds are better than 
Banksian Fortunei. The Ayrshire Roses, of which the 
best are perhaps Ruga and Queen of the Belgians, are 
of very free growth, and thrive in comparatively poor 
soil with a minimum of pruning. Their place is in the 
rougher portions of the garden, and as screens for out- 



48 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



buildings. The Evergreen Roses (R. sempervirens), 
retaining their foliage through most of the winter, are 
sometimes useful, and the huge flower clusters are 
highly decorative. Cheshunt Hybrid, with bright car- 
mine flowers, blooms freely in autumn, and in situations 
where it thrives, the well-known William Allan Richard- 
son is sure of a welcome. 

The China or Monthly Roses are inseparable features 
of the typical Cottage Garden. Few things are more 
charming than a collection of the best dwarf kinds 
massed together in a bed or narrow wall border. The 
climbing varieties should be lightly pruned, but the 
dwarfer sorts bloom more profusely if the knife is used 
freely. Given a moderately light, though not dry soil, 
and a sheltered corner, there are few days in the year 
when buds may not be gathered. 

It is strange that the old-fashioned Moss Roses, once 
so popular, have suffered an altogether unmerited 
neglect. Sweetly scented and particularly delightful 
in bud, they are comparatively seldom met with save 
in quite small gardens. I suppose that the advent of 
Rose shows and the persistently belauded Hybrid Per- 
petuals, has blinded many people to the good and 
permanent things which once filled our gardens. The 
Moss Rose, too, is usually a failure grown as a 
standard, and this doubtless has told against it. The 
proper way in which to grow it is in beds of rich 
soil, pegging down the long, vigorous shoots so that the 
ground is completely covered with their foilage and 
mossy buds. Kindly treatment they must have, but few 
Roses are better worth it ; their association with old- 
time Cottage Gardens makes them additionally welcome, 
though they are beautiful enough in themselves to merit 
extended planting. 

Lack of space, both in this book and in the gardens it 
concerns, prevents mention of many other classes of 



ROSES 



49 



Roses, some of which are good, others hardly worth 
remembering. The old Provence Roses are com- 
paratively seldom seen, and the same remark applies to 
the Bourbons, the Gallicas, and the Damask Roses. 
The Boursaults, often praised, are of little value. Let 
the owner of the small garden include first, the Teas 
and the various single and double Climbers ; then, if 
space can be spared, it will be time enough to think of 
other kinds. 

Roses for Cottage Gardens 
Duuarf Teas. 

Anna Olivier. Mme. Lambard. 

Catherine Mermet. Marie van Houtte. 

George Nabonnand. Niphetos. 
Hon. Edith Gilford. Papa Gontier 

Maman Cochet. Rubens. 

Vicomtesse Folkestone. 

Hybrid Teas. 

Duchess of Connaught. Duchess of Westminster. 
Gloire Lyonnaise. Mme. Etienne Levet. 

Viscountess Falmouth. Pierre Guillot. 

Waltham Climber. 

Climbing Teas. 
(Sometimes classed as Noisettes.) 

Aimee Vibert. Mme. Alfred Carriere. 

Bouquet d'Or. Reve d'Or. 

Celine Forestier. Solfaterre. 

Lamarque. W. A. Richardson. 

China or Monthly Roses. 

Alfred Aubert. Fellemberg. 

Cramoisie Superieure. Lemesle. 

Ducher. Mme. Laurette Messimy. 



so BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



JHoss Roses. 

Blanche Moreau. Lanei. 
Common Moss. Little Gem. 

White Bath. 

Lord Penzance Sweet Briers. 

Amy Robsart. Lady Penzance. 

Brenda. Meg Merrilees. 

Jeannie Deans. Rose Bradwardine. 



Various single Roses, together with the Scotch, 
Banksian and Rambler varieties are mentioned earlier 
in the chapter. 



CHAPTER VI 



THE RESERVE GARDEN 

One of the greatest charms of a well-stocked garden is 
that it gives us an abundance of flowers for house 
decoration. Daffodils and Tulips in spring ; Roses, 
fragrant Mignonette, and a host of summer flowers ; 
Dahlias and scarlet Salvias to brighten our rooms on 
autumn days ; Christmas Roses, Jasmine and scented 
Violets, braving frost and snow that winter may not 
find us desolate. In Cottage Gardens, no less than in 
those of large extent, special care should be taken to 
include plants which are capable of yielding successional 
supplies of cut flowers throughout the year. 

In the small garden the systematic gathering of 
flowers for house decoration unduly robs the borders, 
giving them a poor and patchy appearance at a time 
when they should be most beautiful. To avoid this a 
piece of ground should be set apart for growing a 
selection of plants, both annuals and perennials, for pro- 
viding all the cut bloom we need. This is a matter of 
no great difficulty, and it is surprising the quantity of 
flowers that may be taken, by a system of dual cropping, 
from quite a small plot. Fortunately most of the old 
Cottage Gardens are large in proportion to the size of 
the house ; many have an extensive kitchen garden as 
well as orchard or paddock. But even in the smallest, 
space can always be found for a reserve garden where, 
in nursery beds, the best of hardy flowering plants 
can be grown in lines, without regard to grouping or 

51 



52 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



colour effect. In addition to giving us supplies of cut 
bloom, the reserve garden v^ill serve as a nursery where 
seedlings may be raised, herbaceous plants propagated, 
cuttings struck, etc. — the whole forming a stock-ground 
from which the borders in the garden proper may from 
time to time be replenished. 

I once assisted in the remodelling of a garden attached 
to a picturesque country cottage where the charm of cut 
flowers was fully appreciated. The reserve garden was 
always well supplied with bloom for cutting, and it 
rarely became necessary to trespass upon the garden 
borders when flowers were needed for house decoration. 
The plan pursued might well be adopted by others, so 
that I will briefly describe this particular feature. 

A sunny, yet sheltered, position being desirable, a 
quarter of the kitchen garden was devoted to the 
purpose. Additional protection was afforded by lines 
of espalier fruit trees, which had been planted some 
years previously beside the outer path. The result was 
a square plot of land enclosed by the espaliers, access 
being gained by openings between the trees at the centre 
of each of the four sides. The first thing was to have 
the land double dug ; plenty of well-decayed manure 
was also added. Some good loam being available, 
several barrow loads were spread over the surface, 
thereby raising it slightly above the surrounding level. 
This was an advantage in this case, as the ground was 
inclined to wetness, but it may not be necessary always ; 
the point to ensure is a deep rooting medium, and the 
thorough aeration of the soil by exposure to weather. 
Narrow pathways were now made, dividing the whole 
plot into 4-foot beds ; the paths were simply trodden 
firmly with the feet, no gravel being used, and they 
were of sufficient width to enable one person to walk 
comfortably between the beds. As it was not con- 
sidered advisable to disturb the surface roots of the 



THE RESERVE GARDEN 



fruit trees, the reserve beds ended at a line drawn 
parallel to, and 5 feet from, the espalier stems. Most 
of the best flowering annuals were grown, the seed 
being sown sparingly in lines, and particular attention 
given to early thinning of overcrowded plants. In other 
beds herbaceous perennials were planted, with alternate 
rows of spring bulbs. The latter had gone out of flower 
before the summer plants began to make their full growth, 
and as the season advanced the perennials covered the 
ground, the bulbs being left undisturbed for two or three 
years. When a change became necessary, it was always 
arranged thatbeds formerly occupied by deep-rooting plants 
should be filled with others which rooted near the surface, 
and vice versa. The reserve garden was kept scrupulously 
weeded, and where possible surface hoeings were regu- 
larly practised; water being scarce these helped to retard 
evaporation, and were of great benefit during one especi- 
ally dry summer. The flowers were gathered regularly 
each morning, those not required for the house being 
given away to friends or sent to hospitals. This system- 
atic cutting, and above all the removal of seed pods 
directly they formed, helped to prolong the blooming 
season, and except in midwinter, there were always 
flowers in abundance. 

Although this was an example of intensive culture 
pure and simple, and no thought had been given to 
grouping for general effect, the reserve plot eventually 
proved a garden picture of singular freshness and beauty. 
In Spring the espalier fence was wreathed in pink and 
silver, and through the grey branches brilliant patches of 
flowering bulbs — Daffodils, Grape Hyacinths, Scillas 
and Anemones — flashed in the sun. The bees were 
always busy among the flowers, and in summer the 
fragrance of Stocks and Mignonette filled the air. A 
small bed of Grasses and Gypsophila gave plenty of 
graceful sprays for arranging with bowls of cut flowers, 



54 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



the foliage for daffodils being gathered from bold clumps 
of the commoner kinds planted especially for the purpose. 
Most of the other plants grown are mentioned in the 
accompanying lists, and no difficulty should be experi- 
enced in acting upon the suggestion afforded by this 
excellent piece of cottage gardening. 

Bulbous and Tuberous Plants for Cutting 

Narcissi, — Of these the commoner and cheaper kinds 
should be grown in quantity. A cool, well-drained soil 
suits them best, and if a position slightly shaded from 
midday sun can be provided, so much the better. All 
the best hardy varieties may be planted in beds running 
north and south, and somewhere in the vicinity a patch 
of the cheapest sorts should be grown to provide a 
supply of foliage. Flowering bulbs are not improved by 
having their leaves removed, and as Narcissi never look 
so well as when arranged with their own foliage, the 
above simple expedient is worth practising. Among the 
best for yielding a supply of cut flowers are the old 
Poet's Narcissus, which blooms somewhat late, and 
ornatus, an earlier variety of the same group. For 
delicate form and colouring the Leedsii star Narcissi are 
unsurpassed, and of these we would choose Minnie 
Hume, Katherine Spurrell, and Duchess of Westminster. 
In the Barrii section, Conspicuus is charming, and 
among the forms of Incomparabilis, all true star narcissi, 
the best for the purpose are Queen Bess, very early, 
Frank Miles, Stella superba, and C. J. Backhouse. Out 
of the three remaining groups, the golden, bi-color and 
sulphur-coloured Daffodils, Golden Spur, Horsfieldi, 
and W. P. Milner, are all inexpensive and valuable for 
cutting. As a rule, the double forms of Narcissi are less 
adapted for arrangement in vases ; the same may be said 
of the coarser trumpet kinds, and in a greater degree of 



V 



THE RESERVE GARDEN 55 



the polyanthus varieties (N. Tazetta). In the reserve 
garden Narcissi should not be grown in the same beds 
for more than a few seasons ; change of soil may easily 
be effected by lifting the bulbs and replanting them in 
beds formerly occupied by herbaceous plants. 

Tulips. — No flowers are better suited to the Cottage 
Garden than the old florist's Tulips, which, once popular, 
are now grown comparatively seldom. The late blooming 
kinds, forming a succession to the Narcissi, are delightful 
for cutting, and must not be confounded with the stiff 
bedding Tulips which are imported by the ship-load from 
Holland. Any good garden soil suits them, and they 
may be left in the original beds until overcrowding and 
decreased size of bloom suggests a need for removal. 
The Darwin Tulips are varieties of the old T. Gesneriana^ 
and the rich self-coloured flowers borne on long stalks 
are among the most delightful things for house de- 
coration. For cutting, the dwarf kinds are of little 
value. 

Anemones, — In warm, loamy soils where they do well, 
the various forms of the Poppy Anemone (^A. coronarla) 
are worth growing for cut bloom. If gathered before 
the flowers are fully open they last in water for quite a 
fortnight, and may be had in bloom during the greater 
part of the winter as well as in spring and summer. 
The St Brigid Anemones, which I have seen growing 
by the acre in Ireland, are wonderfully beautiful. 

Ranunculus. — The old-fashioned Turban and Persian 
Ranunculuses are best for the reserve garden. Plenty 
of water is needed during the growing period, and the 
roots should be taken up each year and stored in sand 
until the time for replanting in February. 

Irises. — Nearly all the Irises are of surpassing value 
for cutting, and among the kinds for which space should 
be found are the Netted Iris (/. reticulata), a glorious 
vision of purple and gold, whose sweet-scented flowers 



56 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



brave the snows of winter ; the Spanish Iris (/. Xiphium\ 
which should be left in the ground undisturbed until the 
foliage begins to dwindle ; the English Iris (/. ^iphioides)^ 
flowering later than most other kinds, and if divided 
every two or three years and planted in light, sandy soil, 
yielding a rich harvest of graceful bloom. 

Gladioli. — For house decoration these are unequalled. 
Grouped in jars and bronze vessels with their own 
sword-like leaves, they are supremely lovely, and have 
the merit of lasting a long time in water, the flowers 
opening in succession. Planted in well-drained beds in 
a sunny position, the majority may remain undisturbed 
provided they receive the protection of a light mulch 
during winter ; the longer established, the earlier they 
bloom and the hardier they become. G. Colvillei (The 
Bride) is one of the best, the graceful spikes of white 
flowers producing a charming effect. The popular 
gandavensis varieties are unfortunately somewhat tender, 
but if the corms are lifted in winter they will thrive 
in most warm soils. A selection of variously-coloured 
forms may be chosen from the ramosus group, and these 
are perfectly hardy. The hybrid species are the highest 
development of the Gladiolus, and if some of the named 
kinds are expensive, others are equally beautiful and 
comparatively cheap. 

Montbretia. — These are less conspicuous than the 
Gladioli, but are excellent for cutting. M, crocosmae- 
Jlora, with orange-scarlet flowers, Etoile de Feu, scarlet, 
and Pottsi grandijlora, scarlet and yellow, are among the 
best. 

Schizostylis (Caffre Lily). — A fine, autumn blooming 
plant producing spikes of bright crimson flowers. It 
does best when afforded a sheltered position ; abundant 
moisture is also essential. 

Dahlias, — These will be grown chiefly in the garden 
proper, but spare tubers of the single and cactus 



THE RESERVE GARDEN 57 



varieties may be planted in the reserve garden to yield 
a supply of bloom for the house. 

Lilies, — In Cottage Gardens — and in no others is it 
seen so fine — a patch of the Madonna Lily (Z. candiduni) 
may be grown expressly for cutting. To rob the borders 
of the exquisite spikes is almost a sacrilege, and a dozen 
or so of bulbs planted in the reserve garden will give 
plenty of flowers. Any good loamy soil suits it, and 
once established it should on no account be lifted. 

Perennials for Cut Bloom 

Carnations and Pinks, — These are so floriferous that 
large quantities of bloom may be cut from plants in the 
garden proper, without materially lessening their deco- 
rative value. Still, few things are better suited to the 
reserve border, where they may be grown in small pre- 
pared beds, yielding plentiful cuttings of sweetly-scented 
flowers for the house. A deep, rich loam suits them, 
and on light, sandy soils the addition of cow manure will 
be of assistance. In the case of Carnations, yearly 
renewal of the beds is advisable, strong layers being 
planted eight inches apart in September. Frequent 
watering and the application of a mulch of loamy soil 
and well-decayed manure are incentives to free and con- 
tinuous blooming. For house decoration, it will be 
sufficient to grow a selection of self-coloured varieties, 
not forgetting the old Crimson Clove, sweetest and best 
of all for the Cottage Garden. Practically the same 
cultural methods apply to the hardy border Pinks. 
Plant strong pipings in August, mulch the beds in 
winter, and top dress with thoroughly-decayed manure 
during the following spring. Mrs Sinkins is still one 
of the best. Pinks and Carnations do particularly well 
in gardens near the sea. 

Aquilegias. — True cottagers' plants, the Columbines 



58 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



are of the highest value for cutting. "With their 
quaint spurred flowers in soft tints of yellow, mauve, 
violet, and cream, they enable cool schemes of floral 
decoration during early summer. The white form of 
J, vulgaris and the Golden Columbine {A, chrysantha) 
are particularly good. Propagated by seed. 

Pyrethrums, — Easily grown plants, giving a profusion 
of brightly coloured flowers during the greater part of 
the summer and autumn. The single varieties should be 
grown in preference to the doubles, which are lacking 
in grace and outline. Division in spring. 

Gaillardias, — Gayest of garden flowers. They require 
a deep, well-manured soil, and may be increased by spring 
division. In cold, exposed places they rarely do well, 
and are then best treated as half-hardy annuals. 

Campanulas, — For the reserve garden, the Peach-leaved 
Bellflower (C. persicifolia) is particularly suitable. The 
plants do well if occasionally divided, and the flower 
spikes, both blue and white, are beautiful when arranged 
in jars and vases. 

Lobelia, — Given a deep, rich soil, abundant moisture, 
and a shady position, the Cardinal Flower (L. cardinalis) 
yields noble shafts of scarlet flowers. With slight pro- 
tection it will survive even severe winters, and is 
altogether more hardy than L, fulgens. Should be 
grown also in the mixed border. 

Rocket, — The double white form with its fragrant 
flower spikes should be grown in every Cottage Garden. 
It is easily propagated by division, and somewhat frequent 
replanting is necessary. Rich soil and abundant watering 
encourages prolificacy. 

Penstemons, — These charming flowers bloom for several 
months, and are of easy culture. P, barbatus, sometimes 
known as Chelone barbatus, is one of the most useful, and 
may be increased by division. There are a number, of 
hybrid varieties, mostly derived from P, Hartwegi ; these 



THE RESERVE GARDEN 



combine endless range of colouring with distinctive habit. 
In fairly sheltered places they will stand the winter with 
slight protection ; elsewhere they are best wintered in 
cold frames. Any good loam, to which has been added 
some leaf mould, manure, and sharp sand, suits them. 
Free drainage is essential. 

Violets. — These will naturally be included in every 
garden, either in cold frames or in sheltered, sunny 
spots in the open air. 

Christmas Roses — With the protection of a handlight, 
the Hellebores give us flowers for the house at a time 
when outdoor bloom is scarce. Propagate by division 
of the roots, and leave the plants undisturbed for as long 
as possible. 

Wallflowers. — Nothing is sweeter in the house than 
great bowls filled with fragrant blood-red Wallflowers. 
The best of the dark crimson and double orange kinds 
should be grown. Sow the seed in April, and transplant 
as soon as the seedlings are of fair size. Always nip 
back the tap root before the final planting, as it is only 
by the free emission of fibres that close, compact bushes 
are obtained. 

Annual and Biennial Flowers jor Cutting. 
A list of these will be found in Chapter IV. 



CHAPTER VII 



GARDEN COLOUR 

Why include in a book whose aims are ''practical" 
a chapter on garden colour ? I can well believe that 
some will ask the question, and possibly call me to 
task for straying from the prescribed limits of the 
subject. Let me hasten therefore to assure my critics 
that I regard a study of colour and colour effect as 
being no whit less practical than descriptions of digging, 
pruning, propagating, or seed sowing. If our aim is the 
making of a beautiful garden — and beauty is only achieved 
by practical measures — we can no more afford to neglect 
the question of colour than the simplest principles of land 
culture. Surely no one imagines that an artistic garden 
can be made by slavishly copying the plans and diagrams 
which are such a feature of many so-called practical 
books. There exists a class of office designers who on 
receipt of a few brief particulars as to the dimensions, 
contour, etc., of a piece of ground will forward — in 
return for the usual fee — a neat plan, drawn to scale, 
showing exactly how a garden is to be laid out ; positions 
are assigned for beds, lawns, paths, summer-house, and 
terrace ; distances are regulated to an inch. This is 
what is known as ''practical advice," whereas anyone 
with two grains of common sense must realise that it is 
/;72practicable to the last degree ; and that, except as 
specimens of draughtsmanship, such plans are not worth 
the paper they are drawn on. Long continued abuse of 
the word ^' practical " has hindered garden art as much 
60 



GARDEN COLOUR 



6i 



as anything. After all, the making of gardens is not an 
exact science, nor can we expect much help from books 
which pretend to teach the subject in a series of recipes. 
The best and most practical works on garden craft 
attempt nothing more than suggestion ; their writers 
never dogmatise nor embarrass us by rules. Instead of 
saying, ''This is how we made a beautiful garden; 
follow our directions and yours will be equally good," 
they give us a word-picture of the garden, leaving us 
to adopt such of its features as please us, and are capable 
of reproduction in our case. 

I have been tempted to this slight digression, not as 
an apology for including a few thoughts on colour, but 
because I feel convinced that we should see more really 
good gardens, if form and colour were in future regarded 
as necessary and eminently practical considerations. 

The colour of most garden flowers is good, though 
the hybridist has often done his best to spoil it by 
raising new varieties at any sacrifice. It is our way of 
combining colours that is defective and leads to the 
tawdry, garish appearance of so many gardens. The 
fiery scarlet of geraniums is an example of fine colour ; 
the intense blue of dwarf lobelias is exquisite, so also is 
the yellow of the bedding calceolaria. And yet when 
the three are combined, as is done to distraction by those 
who practise the pernicious carpet bedding," the crude 
result gives one to reflect that people afflicted with 
colour blindness have sometimes much to be thankful 
for. It is true that in Nature we often see colours 
daringly contrasted, but then Nature is an irreproachable 
artist, and may attempt with impunity effects which we 
lesser lights could not hope to redeem from failure. 
Nature, too, is unhampered by the hmitations which the 
small garden imposes upon us ; she spreads her colours 
broadly, lavishly, fearlessly, and with supreme confi- 
dence. Besides, she has at her command a thousand 



62 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



forces to help her plan — sun and cloud : storm and 
evening light : mist, haze, and the myriad changing 
effects of distance and atmosphere. We cannot attempt 
plain air studies in a curtained room, nor can we entirely 
copy Nature in the artificial surroundings of a garden. 
Nevertheless, it is from Nature that we shall learn many 
valuable lessons in colour combination, lessons that will 
teach us what to adopt and what to avoid in the grouping 
of trees and plants in the small garden. 

Take for example any piece of natural scenery, and 
notice the wonderfully suggestive colour effects it dis- 
plays. A wood in autumn ! — what harmonies of gold 
and russet, of browns and silver greys, dying foliage, 
bracken and mossy branches ! Or again in Spring, 
when the scene is coloured afresh with vivid greens, the 
yellow of Primroses, and the azure and white of an 
April sky. If we would learn the value of contrast, 
there are lessons innumerable in every yard of cliff-face 
that fronts the summer sea. Purple and orange lichens 
spreading like stains over the whiteness of dazzling 
chalk ; scarlet Poppies with glaucous leaves cushioned 
on sandstone ledges, or hanging above sheer depths of 
dusky basalt. Every difficulty which confronts us in 
the way of floral colour grouping may be solved by a 
study of Nature's artistry ; the average country lane or 
the creeping plants in a humble hedgerow will further 
our knowledge of what may be accomplished in a garden; 
and still we have the sky, an ever-changing and eternally 
beautiful band of colour, drawn slowly above us in the 
infinite realms of space. To say then that we lack in- 
spiration for our garden pictures is to blind ourselves to 
what is going on around us. There is no need to fall 
into stereotyped ways. With thousands of plants from 
which to choose and the panorama of Nature for a guide, 
it is incomprehensible that our garden colour should, for 
the most part, be crude, harsh, and monotonous. 



GARDEN COLOUR 63 



In the small garden we should avoid violent contrasts, 
even though they may be effective as regards colour ; 
also such subtle harmonies as tend to produce a gene- 
rally tame and spiritless ensemble. An impression of 
space and breadth may be conveyed by the adoption of 
suitable colour schemes, surely a better and more legiti- 
mate form of deception than the making of twisted 
paths and other stupid contrivances to increase the 
apparent size of a piece of ground. Above all, we must 
so group our colours that they merge boldly and easily 
into one another ; nothing is more irritating than the 
spottiness of certain mixed borders which have much the 
same appearance as a patchwork quilt. In planting a 
garden we are in reality painting a picture : the earth is 
our canvas ; the outlines of beds, lawn margin, and paths 
form the charcoal sketch ; our paints are living flowers. 
And as before starting to work the artist has in mind 
a clear conception of the effect he hopes to produce, 
so also must the gardener if he would avoid ultimate 
disappointment. 

Certain colours look best in certain places. In a 
bright, sunny border, a feature should be made of plants 
bearing flowers of vivid hues — scarlet, rich crimson, full 
purple, gold, and orange. In shady quarters, among 
shrubs or beneath trees, pale, cool colours should pre- 
dominate — sulphur yellows, creamy whites, blues, 
mauve, and lilac. As a rule, we find a converse arrange- 
ment adopted, showy colours being used to brighten" 
dull corners, whilst less pronounced shades are given 
full exposure and sunshine, in the belief that they will 
be strengthened thereby. This is not so really, as the 
effect of sunshine is to bleach such colours as mauve and 
lilac, until they appear almost white ; similarly, all depth and 
richness is lost in shaded reds and crimson, which in sunless 
places look dull, heavy, and uninteresting. The question 
of aspect, then, is the colour designer's first attention. 

E 



64 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



The proximity of walls and buildings will influence 
the colour selection of plants grown in their vicinity. 
Especial thought must be given to the choice of climbers 
and flowers grown in narrow wall borders. Brickwork 
when old and mellow is a charming background for 
almost all flowers, except those in shades of red, 
crimson, and yellow. Against white or grey stone, 
mauve and purple climbers are perfectly contrasted, and 
for covering such walls nothing can exceed in colour 
beauty Wistaria and the large white and purple Clem- 
atises. Many country cottages are now rough cast, and 
against a warmly tinted wall of this description the 
climbing Roses look particularly well. New brickwork 
is an example of bad background colour and is exceed- 
ingly difficult to treat satisfactorily. Perhaps the best 
way is to cover it quickly with a growth of Virginia 
Creeper or Ivy, and to relieve the latter with loose 
trails of Jasmine and the smaller white Clematises. 

In planning a border, which from its size may contain 
a whole colour procession, both harmony and contrast 
must be studied. A gradual merging of allied colours 
into one another throughout its length would produce a 
tame and featureless effect ; we must counteract this by 
a few judicious contrasts sufficiently notable to catch 
the eye. In the same border the same progression of 
colour should never be repeated ; bold masses of each 
hue are better than small patches, duplicated at stated 
intervals. It is well, too, to arrange groups of plants 
whose flowers display various tones of the same colour. 
Thus, instead of a mass of bright yellow flowers, we 
might introduce into the same space a variety of yellows : 
lemon, sulphur, chrome, orange, passing finally to ochre. 
This would enable us to get bold, dignified masses 
without monotony. It will be necessary also to make 
a study of succession, so that in say our red section of 
the border there may be red flowers constantly coming 



GARDEN COLOUR 65 



into bloom to take the place of those which have 
finished. 

White flowers are always difficult to group satisfac- 
torily, and at best they must be used sparingly. Here 
again, however, one bold group is better than half-a- 
dozen small patches, which, if seen simultaneously, pro- 
duce a distractingly spotty effect. Very cold whites, 
such as those provided by Iberis and Phlox, should be 
toned down by close association with creamy shades, 
these bridging the distance between them and the 
yellows, or whatever colour is placed next in order. 
After the yellows we may group plants with blue 
flowers, and at this point a fine contrast may be secured 
by associating Delphiniums with golden CEnothera, or 
in the spring border, Gentians with yellow Violas. If 
such bold contrasts are not desired, it is easy to soften 
the colour scheme by separating the deepest blues and 
yellows by pale azures, bluish whites, creams and 
sulphur tones. 

Again progressing, the blues may be followed by a 
breadth of foliage plants, those with deep bronze leaves 
being massed near the darker blues, whilst the fresh sap 
greens are suitable for association with azure shades like 
the Forget-me-Not and Scillas. The value of foliage 
plants in the mixed border is often overlooked, and yet 
there is great beauty in the mingled tones of green 
when sparingly used. The warmest colours, purple, 
crimson, rose, carmine and vermilion, pass easily and 
naturally into one another, and all that is necessary here 
is to restrict the size of this particular section, so as to 
keep it proportionate to the rest. Most colour designers 
prefer to separate purple and crimson, placing the 
former among the cold shades of mauve and lilac. It 
may be a matter of taste, but I always think crimson and 
purple form a glorious contrast ; the purple, however, 
must not be cold, rather that known to artists as purple 



66 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



lake. Mauve and lilac combine well with the whites 
and pale yellows, and, of course, are happily situated 
near the brighter greens. 

Beds, as distinct from borders, offer facilities for fine 
masses of single colour. Spendid effects may be secured 
either in reds, blues, or yellows, and there is no occasion 
to consider the laws of relation, harmony, or contrast. 
Surrounded by a broad margin of turf, such beds, even 
though small, give a look of dignified simplicity, and are 
far more satisfying than the speckled and kaleidoscopic 
arrangements which the bedding out" system pro- 
vides. I remember a particularly good example of one- 
colour bedding, the result of using flowers in shades of 
red. The bed, which was enclosed by a narrow stone 
kerb, faced the entrance to a rambling cottage residence 
in one of the northern counties. Lychnis Chalcedonica, 
Lobelia Cardinalis, and deep red Sweet Williams were 
used, and in bright sunshine the whole bed was a mass 
of glowing colour. The vermilion of the Lychnis found 
an admirable foil in the intense velvety crimson of the 
Sweet Williams, the deep bronze foliage of the latter 
completing as fine a garden picture as could be wished. 

It is easy to think out other good colour schemes, 
either of harmony or contrast. Scattered colonies of 
golden Daffodils planted among beds of dwarf Tea 
Roses, whose copper shoots provide a rich setting for 
the flowers ; a Wallflower border — the colours ranging 
from palest buff to deepest mahogany, and the fragrance 
exquisite 5 a Madonna robe, woven in shades of blue 
— Myosotis, Spring Scillas, Muscari, and the lustrous 
sheen of Gentians. All true garden lovers have, at any 
rate, a latent perception for colour, and the gift is 
readily developed by sympathetic observation. It is only 
by carrying the results of such observation into practice, 
that our gardens will prove entirely satisfying to refined 
and cultured minds. 



CHAPTER VIII 



FRAGRANCE 

And because the breath of flowers is far sweeter in the air (where 
it comes and goes like the warbling of music) than in the hand, there- 
fore nothing is more fit for that delight than to know what be the 
flowers and plants that do best perfume the air." — Bacon. 

One of the most precious gifts of the garden is that of 
fragrance, yet how seldom is the fact realised. Colour 
and form are to a certain extent insisted upon, but even 
among the best gardeners strange disregard is shown for 
plants whose greatest charm lies in their perfume. Why 
this should be, I cannot tell. Nine people out of ten 
are keenly susceptible to the pleasure which is awakened 
by the fragrance of flowers ; to many the scent of the 
rose is far more grateful than either its colour or perfect 
outline. In large grounds a small enclosure is often set 
apart and dedicated only to such flowers as are sweetly 
scented. But why look upon the scented garden" as 
a thing apart, possible only for those who have space 
and means for special features ? When the whole 
garden may be made a place of sweet and subtle odours, 
it seems absurd to regard fragrance as a rarity which 
must be labelled, lest its significance be overlooked. 
Joubert has said that scents are the souls of flowers"; 
certainly a scentless blossom must always be lacking in 
something which instinct teaches us to expect. Give a 
flower to a child and its first thought will be for its 
sweetness, not for its colour or form. An eye for 
colour is denied to hundreds of people, grace of outline 



68 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



may be perceptible only to the cultivated mind ; but the 
humblest cottager takes pleasure in the fragrance of the 
rose and of the purple violets half hidden in the spring 
hedgerow. 

The perfume of tree and flower, of grass and mellow 
earth, is Nature's incense ; she swings her thurible cease- 
lessly at the head of the long procession of the months. 
The scent of the first Primrose ! How truly it tells of 
spring, of greenness in the land, of the life and fresh- 
ness that is to come. What can be more suggestive of 
summer days than the cloying sweetness of the stocks, 
flooding the garden pathways with their heavy frag- 
rance ! Autumn may have clothed the countryside with 
gold and russet, yet it is left to the damp and pungent 
odour of fallen leaves to remind us sadly of the dying 
year. Instances could be multiplied, but enough has 
been said to show how impossible it is in a practical 
book — and the term practical must be held to embrace 
all such considerations as are likely to promote the 
pleasures of the garden — to ignore so important a 
question as that concerned in this chapter. 

In the small garden a special feature should be made 
of shrubs and plants that exhale a grateful perfume. 
During summer the windows and doors of the country 
cottage will be constantly open, and nothing can be 
more delightful than the fragrance of sweetly scented 
flowers borne on the breeze into living room and 
chamber. In the majority of such small gardens the 
flower borders will be situated close to the house, 
with shrubs and climbers growing against the walls. 
For this reason, a certain amount of discrimination must 
be shown in the selection of plants ; not a few of them, 
deliciously scented though they be, would render the 
air somewhat overpowering in a confined space. An 
example of this is the well-known Mock Orange (Phila- 
delphus), the scent of which is apt to prove sickly in a 



FRAGRANCE 



69 



very small garden. We must, of course, be equally 
careful to exclude all plants whose odour is distinctly 
disagreeable, though many of these are desirable 
enough otherwise. I have known a small garden 
rendered quite unbearable by the musky aroma of the 
old-fashioned Crown Imperial. 

It is remarkable to find how many plants are available 
for our garden of sweet and delicate fragrance ; whole 
families of hardy things, requiring neither special care 
nor culture. Some of the best are to be found among 
the flowering shrubs, a few of which should be in every 
small garden. In order to provide space for them, I 
would see a clean sweep made of the coarser ever- 
greens, laurels especially, which at present rob the soil 
and darken the corners in so many places. A mistaken 
idea exists that comparatively few of the flowering 
shrubs will thrive in our uncertain climate, and that 
they require some form of protection in winter. Cer- 
tainly a warm and sheltered district is necessary to 
enable the successful culture of the less hardy Myrtle 
and Magnolia, but there are hosts of others, all fragrant, 
which succeed anywhere. 

To begin with, there are the Lilacs, beautiful at all 
times, but particularly in spring, when the dense screens 
of mauve and white blossoms drench the air with deli- 
cate perfume. The newer varieties should be chosen, 
and attention paid to pruning and the removal of root 
suckers to ensure fine blooms. Lilacs are often planted 
in crowded shrubberies, where they never do well. In 
the small garden they should be boldly grouped near 
grass margins, or they may be used to shut out any 
unsightly features in the vicinity. In semi-shade the 
Azaleas are charming, the Ghent sections being per- 
fectly hardy and especially suited, with their endless 
range of colouring, for association with the old-world 
flowers of the Cottage Garden. The Garland-flower 



70 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



(Daphne), sweetest of winter blooming shrubs, has 
long been a favourite. The pink and white forms are 
preferable to the common Mezereon, which has pur- 
plish flowers. Another fragrant shrub, flowering in 
the dull days of December and January, is the Winter 
Sweet (Chimonanthus fragrans), which should be given 
a place beside a wall facing west or south. The bare 
shoots, covered with small creamy-brown flowers, are 
invaluable for cutting ; if placed in a vase they soon fill 
a room with their exquisite perfume. Then there are 
the Jasmines, never more happy than beside the cottage 
wall. The yellow-flowered nudiflorum is the brightest 
note of colour in the winter garden ; whilst there are 
few sweeter things anywhere than the starry white 
blossoms of officinale. Another beautiful family is the 
Lonicera (Honeysuckles), comprising both bushes and 
woody climbers. The common Honeysuckle, precious 
wilding of the country lanes, is worthy indeed of a place 
in the garden. There are few sights more lovely than 
that of this graceful plant garlanding a porch or trellis, 
and it deserves better treatment than is usually afforded. 
The Winter Honeysuckle (L. fragrantissima) is a hardy 
shrub, its creamy flowers opening in the early days of 
the year. In a sunny, sheltered position its sweetness 
fills the air with an almost exotic fragrance. Less well 
known than the foregoing, but dehcately perfumed, is 
the Allspice (Calycanthus), a North American shrub 
bearing reddish flowers. It does best in damp, shady 
places, and those who can spare a corner will do well to 
include it. 

Here, then, are the names of but a few of the many 
flowering shrubs which may be planted in the Cottage 
Garden. The number might easily be extended, but we 
must leave room for bulbs and herbaceous plants, not to 
mention the roses, without which no garden would be 
complete. Speaking generally, flowering shrubs are 



FRAGRANCE 



71 



sadly neglected, the places they would so fittingly occupy 
being encumbered with gloomy evergreen thickets. No- 
where more than in the small garden is there need of 
brightness and colour ; nowhere would a change from the 
old order of things be more welcome and appropriate. 

In our garden of sweet odours will be many plants 
whose fragrance is distilled, not from their flowers, but 
from their stems and leaves. To such belong the old- 
fashioned herbs, true cottage plants, whose perfume 
clings still to the presses and oaken chests handed down 
to us from long ago. Sweet "Woodruff, Rosemary, the 
Common Balm (Melissa), Balm of Gilead (Cedronella), 
Bee Balm (Monarda), Sweet Verbena (Aloysia) (needs a 
covering of ashes above the roots in winter), Dutch 
Myrtle, often known as Sweet Gale (Myrica), and best 
of all, the Sweet Brier — their rightful place is surely in the 
Cottage Garden. A warm, sheltered position is desirable 
for most of them, but they are in no sense delicate, and 
with a little care increase in strength and beauty yearly. 
Nor are we likely to forget a bush or two of bee- 
beguiling Lavender, truly a typical plant for our purpose. 
A well-kept lavender hedge is a thing of joy, its tones 
of grey and silver contrasting admirably with the regal 
scarlet of poppies, or the soft damask of the Tea Roses. 

Yet even now we have not exhausted half the treasures 
of Nature's perfumed storehouse, nor sampled the won- 
drous essences that are distilled for us in the hearts of 
the Lilies, the Carnations, or the blood-red Wallflowers. 
Not all the odours of the East can surpass in richness 
the fragrance of the hardy border plants which may be 
grown with ease in our English Cottage Gardens. Not a 
day need pass that finds them bereft of sweetness 5 even 
in mid-winter there are shrubs and flowers waiting only 
to be planted to fill the air with perfume. 

What memories are loosened by the mere names 
of the scented favourites which since childhood we 



72 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



remember as growing in the gardens of the country- 
side. Purple and white Rockets, beloved of cottagers ; 
Night-scented Stocks, opening their pale flowers at 
dusk ; evening Primroses ; Sweet Sultans and Helio- 
trope, the old-fashioned Cherry Pie. These, with 
Mignonette and the Brompton and Ten-week Stocks, 
occur most readily to the mind, but there are many 
more almost equally deserving. Certain of the Irises 
are deliciously fragrant, notably the Netted Iris (I. reticu- 
lata), which braves the snow to put forth its blossoms 
of gold and purple ; and the Florentine Flag (I. floren- 
tina). Among the Narcissus family are several sweet- 
scented varieties, the commonest being the Pheasant's 
Eye Narcissus (N. poeticus). In warm places we may 
plant the Jonquils, which in sheltered corners and well- 
drained soils are quite happy in the open. The Great 
Jonquil (N. odorus), which grows wild in parts of Spain, 
is one of the best, together with the Double Queen 
Anne. A clump or two of the Rush Jonquil (N. junci- 
folius) is a charming addition to the small bulb border. 
The fragrance of the ordinary Daffodils, like that of the 
Primrose, is almost too subtle for perfect appreciation 
by our undeveloped senses. Maeterlinck, in one of his 
essays, regards the perception of smell as our last-born 
sense, which even at this period of our progress is still 
strangely imperfect. The Grape Hyacinths (Muscari) 
are mostly scented, the best in this respect (and one of 
the least cultivated) being the yellow Feather Hyacinth 
(M. moschatum) and its relative M. luteum. They are 
much larger than the dark blue kinds, and though not 
showy are incomparably fragrant. The Day Lilies 
(Hemerocallis), especially Flava, which has been called 
the yellow tuberose, the Cyclamens, many quite . hardy, 
Scillas, and the Spring Snowflake (Leucojum vernum) 
are other easily grown flowers for the Spring and 
summer gardens. 



FRAGRANCE 



73 



Still the breeze comes to us laden with the breath of 
other beautiful things — Musk, Polyanthus, and Auricula ; 
Sweet Peas and Scabious ; Meadow Sweet, and the per- 
fumed richness of the Pinks. Almonds, glorious vision 
of pink-wreathed shoots, Allspice, and Sweet Bay ; 
Virgin's Bower (Clematis flamula), Traveller's Joy (C. 
Vitalba), Wistaria, Paeonies, and the climbing Tea Roses ; 
Pansies, Violets, the Tree Lupine, fragrant as a field of 
beans. Plantain Lilies, and the Sweet Flag (Acorus). I 
make no attempt to give them in order, or group them 
according to their flowering seasons ; the memory of 
their sweetness crowds the mind with visions of many 
beautiful gardens where the charm of fragrance is fully 
appreciated. The small garden should be the home 
of scented flowers, its borders should overflow with 
them, until the very air becomes a constant sweet re- 
minder of their presence. 

Fragrant Plants for Cottage Gardens. 

Trees and Shrubs, 

Allspice. Mezereon. 

Almond. Myrica (Sweet Gale^. 

Azalea. Myrtle. 

Chimonanthus (Winter Osmanthus. 

Sweet). Paeony (Moutan). 

Choisya ternata (Mexican Philadelphus (Mock 

Orange Flower). Orange). 

Clethra (Sweet Pepper Pyrus (Crab Apples). 

Bush). Rhododendrons. 

Daphne. Ribes. 

Deutzia. Roses. 

Forsythia. Rosemary. 

Lavender. Spiraea (Meadow Sweet). 

Laurus (Sweet Bay). Styrax. 
Magnolia. 



74 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



Abelia. 
Clematis. 
Honeysuckle. 
Jasmine. 



Hardy Climbers, 
Roses. 

Vines (American). 
Wistaria. 

Hardy Annuals and Perennials, 



Acorus (Sweet Flag). 
Alyssum. 

Anthericum (St Bruno's 

Lily). 
Aquilegia. 

Asperula (Sweet Woodruff). 
Auricula. 

Cedronella(Balm of Gilead). 
Cheiranthus (Wallflower). 
Carnations. 

Convallaria (Lily-of-the- 

Valley). 
Crinum. 
Cyclamen. 

Datura (Thorn Apple). 
Epigaea (Mayflower). 
Funkia (Plantain Lily). 
Heliotrope. 

Hemerocallis (Day Lily). 
Hesperis (Sweet Rocket). 
Hyacinth. 
Iris. 

Jonquil. 

Leucojum (Spring Snow- 
flake). 



Liiiums. 

Linnaea (Twinflower). 
Melissa (Balm). 
Mignonette. 

Mirabilis (Marvel of Peru). 
Muscari (Grape Hyacinths). 
Musk. 

Myrrhis (Sweet Cicely). 
QEnothera (Evening Prim- 
rose). 
Paeonies. 
Pancratium. 
Polyanthus. 
Primrose. 

Pyrola (Winter-green), 

Scabious. 

Scilla. 

Stocks. 

Sweet Pea. 

Sweet Sultan. 

Sweet William. 

Thyme. 

Verbena. 

Violet. 



CHAPTER IX 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 

Undoubtedly one of the greatest attractions of the 
country cottage, with its well-tended garden, is the 
luxury it affords in the way of freshly gathered fruits 
and vegetables. Town dwellers, who for long have 
depended upon the often stale produce of the green- 
grocer's shop, are particularly appreciative of the crisp 
salads, the early potatoes, and dessert fruits which seem 
never to taste so well as when home grown. No 
vegetable can be had in perfection when it has been 
crushed for hours in crate or basket, tumbled in and 
out of trains and waggons, and exposed, perhaps for 
days, to the dust and heat of the market stall or re- 
tailer's window. The very most should, therefore, 
be made of the kitchen garden, and far from leaving 
it entirely in the hands of the gardener or odd man, 
its arrangement and care should be closely supervised 
by the owner, even if he does not actually work in it 
himself. 

Regarded as a nation, English people do not excel as 
growers of fruit and vegetables. We have not yet 
learnt the art of intensive culture, of which the French 
are perhaps the greatest exponents. A French gardener, 
who works the land himself and is obliged to practise 
strict economy, manages to secure as much produce 
from half an acre, as an Englishman similarly situated 
usually obtains from twice or three times that area. 
Although skill is largely responsible, it is more a ques- 

7$ 



76 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



tion of thoroughness and individual attention than any- 
thing else. The French gardener has imagination, and 
looks upon his small piece of land as a potential gold 
mine ; we think of the earth as a hard mistress who will 
cheat us in every way of that we have a right to expect. 
There are untold possibilities both of pleasure and profit 
in the smallest kitchen garden, and our greatest need at 
present is to learn how to make the most of space, so 
that each foot of ground may be constantly occupied. 

In the first place we must consider the question of 
design and general arrangement, both with a view to 
economy of working and suitability for crops. At 
present many small vegetable gardens are badly planned, 
space being wasted in various ways. Kitchen garden 
paths should always be straight, not curved, and a 
general rectangular plan is preferable to one which is 
irregular. In laying out a new garden, it should be 
contrived, if possible, that the length of the vegetable 
ground runs east and west, so that by cropping across 
the land the full benefit of sunshine may be secured. 
Formality, not always desirable in the flower garden, is 
here not only permissible, but of the greatest advantage ; 
the simplest plan for small gardens being the division of 
the ground, by means of a central path with another 
bisecting it at right angles in the centre, into four large 
beds in which the majority of hardy vegetable crops will 
be grown. An outer pathway running parallel to the 
boundary walls or hedge completes the enclosure of the 
main beds, and between it and the fence an additional 
border, on which salads and early things generally can 
be raised, terminates the elementary design. Fortunate 
are they whose vegetable garden is already surrounded 
by good walls, or who can afford to build them ; they 
are the best of all boundaries, not only for their shelter, 
but because they may be used as supports for trained 
fruk trees, always a beautiful feature. Hedges — 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 77 



especially evergreen hedges — are, when well grown, a 
good form of shelter, but their roots are far reaching 
and rob the borders in their vicinity. In quite small 
gardens wooden fences are next best to walls, but they 
are not usually picturesque, at anyrate until they have 
become covered with fruit trees. A high fence of split 
oak is infinitely preferable to one of tarred deal boards, 
and in the long run is more economical, as decay soon 
manifests itself in the less permanent woods. 

Many of the older kitchen gardens would be better if 
entirely remodelled. At present their usefulness is 
sadly impaired by the inclusion of features which have 
no business there at all. Often we find them dotted 
with old fruit trees, whose overhanging branches rob 
them of light and air, and whose roots, spreading in all 
directions, impoverish the soil, and render proper cul- 
ture impossible. These should be cut down, and their 
roots, or as many of them as can be got at, grubbed up 
and burnt. Any worn out specimen trees, clumps of 
bushes, privet or laurel thickets, tumble-down arbours 
(of which there are many), and other relics of the past, 
may follow them to the pyre ; their presence only means 
dirt, poverty and decay. No one who cares for the 
beauty of gardens will tolerate trees and plants which 
are obviously mere cumberers of the ground. By 
putting in the saw and mattock, we clear the way for 
brighter and more healthy conditions, and no false senti- 
ment should be allowed to stand in the way of much- 
needed reforms in the vegetable and fruit grounds. 

The next point to ensure is good soil, this being the 
keynote of successful culture. The best form of pre- 
paration, as a rule, is to trench or double-dig the whole 
area, taking care, however, that the poorer subsoil is not 
brought to the surface, but simply broken up and 
allowed to remain where it is. On light, sandy soils 
much good may be done by liberal enrichment with cow 



78 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



manure, which tends to stiffen and make them more 
retentive of moisture. Stable manure, containing plenty 
of litter, is best for heavy land, and if clay is present in 
quantity old lime rubbish and screened rubble should be 
added to lighten its texture. Lime is much needed in 
most gardens, especially when the soil is inclined to 
sourness ; for stone fruits, too, it is invaluable. Even 
in the smallest garden a corner is required where 
manure and potting compost may be stored, leaves col- 
lected, rubbish burnt, and the various untidy details 
connected with vegetable growing be carried out. This 
should be screened off from the main garden, and may 
fittingly adjoin a small potting and tool shed, which, with 
a miniature frame ground for raising seedlings, forcing 
cucumbers, etc., will be found a great convenience. 

The walled-in kitchen garden will ensure ideal condi- 
tions for the growing of choice fruit, and when building 
new walls they should be so constructed that the train- 
ing and protection of trees may easily be carried out. 
Walls with a plain face are better than those with but- 
tresses or other ornamental features, though these may 
occur on the outer side should it be desired. At the 
time of building, it is usual to insert eyelets and irons 
for supporting net boards, as the fabric is more or less 
damaged when this is deferred until after the walls have 
been erected. North and east walls should be higher 
than those facing west or south, the exact measurements 
depending upon the amount of natural shelter and the 
exposure to prevailing winds. On walls with a north 
or eastern aspect, late Plums, Morella Cherries and Red 
Currants may be grown ; early Pears and Plums, the 
choicer fruits, such as Peaches and Nectarines, and all 
delicate varieties, will succeed on those facing west or 
south. A projecting coping, either of stone or brick, is 
a great advantage, and to prevent any harbourage for 
pests the walls should be well pointed and kept in good 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 79 



repair. The fruit borders must be thoroughly drained, 
and if the existing soil is poor or heavy it should be 
removed to a depth of 2^ feet, and plenty of coarsely 
chopped turf filled in ; above this spread fresh compost, 
which has been prepared by mixing a couple of 
barrowloads of manure, a bushel of ^-inch bones, and a 
small quantity of lime and mortar rubble to each cart- 
load of soil. The border should finally be 2 feet deep, 
and besides the trees will grow early salads and 
strawberries. 

In small unwalled kitchen gardens there is but one 
way of growing fruit trees without monopolising too 
much space, and that is on the Espalier system. Espalier 
hedges flanking the main paths are so beautiful a feature 
that, forgetting for the moment the heavy crops of fruit 
they are capable of producing, we should welcome them 
if only for their decorative value. Not only may we 
train the branches along parallel wires, but the espaliers 
on either side of a walk may be connected by arches, and 
in due course the pathway converted into a continuous 
bower. Or we may compromise between utility and 
beauty by limiting the fruit trees to the fence proper, 
and over arches, at say 20 foot intervals, fling 
climbing Roses, Clematis, and Wistaria. The usual 
form of espalier fence consists of iron uprights, with six 
or eight strands of strained wire run between them, but 
a more artistic effect is attained by having wooden posts 
and top rail ; needless to say they are hardly so durable 
as those of iron, and the cost, especially if the post heads 
are in any way ornamented, is greater. 

Espalier fences may be set back four feet from the 
path edge, and in the flanking borders thus formed 
perennials and annuals for cutting, or if space is limited. 
Lettuces, Parsley and Radishes may be grown. The 
ground behind the fruit trees will be occupied by the 
ordinary vegetable crops planted in parallel rows running 



8o BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



north and south. The espalier trained trees when in 
full foliage act as shelter screens, without, however, 
materially overshadowing the vegetables. At the junc- 
tion of the main paths the ends of the espaliers may be 
joined by interlacing arches ; over these either the fruit 
branches or flowering climbers can be trained, thus pro- 
ducing a delightful dome of greenery, from which 
miniature vistas in each direction are obtained. In 
spring the lines of blossom-laden branches will be 
haunted by bees, and in the blaze of summer days the 
gorgeous Red Admiral will spread his wings on ripen- 
ing Pear and Plum. 

Kitchen garden paths require to be carefully made and 
kept in good repair by being freshly gravelled as often 
as necessary. The passage of wheel and water barrows 
soon cuts up the walks in winter, and unless they are 
raked and rolled before dry weather comes to harden 
them, they will prove rough and uncomfortable all 
summer. As a live edging to walks. Box is perhaps 
best, but it must be kept constantly trimmed and tended, 
or it will soon become straggling and uneven, a tempting 
shelter for snails and other vermin. Roughly dressed 
stone makes the best of all margins, and in counties 
where it is cheap and plentiful it should be used in pre- 
ference to anything else. Slate is also good, though 
hardly so picturesque in colour. Grass is a mistake 
unless the edge is of sufficient width to enable mowing 
with the machine. Perfectly plain terra cotta or earthen 
tiles are durable and effective, but ornamental patterns, 
either of the twisted or crenelated variety, should be 
avoided. 

Details as to cropping, rotation, and methods of raising 
the various vegetables naturally belong to books dealing 
exhaustively with such matters, and in any case they would 
occupy too much space in a small volume. But I would 
recommend owners of small kitchen gardens to devote 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 8i 



more attention to the raising of Salads and the less coarse 
vegetables, which respond readily to intensive culture, 
and are not so easily obtained from shops and the regu- 
lar market gardeners. In the small garden it is out of 
the question to grow main crop Potatoes, although space 
can sometimes be found for early varieties ; bulky pro- 
duce, like Cabbages, Beans and mid-season Peas, might 
more fittingly be raised on an additional strip of land 
situated outside the snug security of the walled-in or 
sheltered garden. 

The so-called rare vegetables, including Salsafy, 
Asparagus, Seakale, Globe Artichokes and Mushrooms, 
should be more often found in small gardens, and would 
form a welcome change for the table. The good prac- 
tice of Herb culture, once a feature in old-fashioned 
gardens, might be revived, and as most varieties can be 
grown in pretty ways, as edgings, for example, they 
would be interesting apart from their value in the 
kitchen. Sometimes herbs are raised in small beds, each 
edged with Box, with narrow pathways between ; a 
patch of ground treated in this way becomes a quaint, 
old-world conceit, and the fragrance of Balm, Sweet 
Marjoram, Mint, and Thyme is grateful to most people. 
A few hives of bees may also find a place in the shel- 
tered kitchen garden, and if stood some distance back 
from frequented paths, the insects are rarely troublesome. 
Besides giving us of their honey supplies, bees do much 
good by fertilising the fruit blossoms. I would that 
every garden lover should possess Maeterlinck's truly 
wonderful Life of the Bee," so exquisitely written, so 
stupendous in its facts, so poetically conceived. Its 
charm is irresistible even to the least imaginative, and 
few having read it will fail to become amateur apiarists, 
surely a good thing for our gardens. 



CHAPTER X 



THE ORCHARD GARDEN 

That an orchard may be a garden and still be an orchard 
has not occurred to some people. A few years ago the 
same misconception existed as to the kitchen garden ; to 
introduce any element of beauty or the picturesque into 
its severe and business-like surroundings, would have 
been held as highly improper. We have learnt better 
ways since then, and with its path borders of gay 
herbaceous plants, its dwarf hedges of fragrant lavender, 
its bright patches of annuals for cutting, its beehives, 
espalier fences and air of trim profusion, the kitchen 
garden has been redeemed from utilitarian monotony and 
has become a source of beauty, without however losing 
any of its usefulness. But the orchard, with its endless 
possibilities, has been forgotten, and in the majority of 
cases is the saddest and most neglected spot in the whole 
garden. Of the hundreds of country cottage orchards I 
have seen, only two linger in my memory as visions of 
pure delight, as gardens in the truest sense'of the word. 
The suggestions I shall offer in this chapter are mainly 
based on the example set by these two good orchard 
gardeners, who have combined beauty and usefulness in 
a way worthy of imitation. 

Why should we press the claims of the orchard 
beautiful ? And what are the sacrifices — for sacrifices 
there are — that must be made in order to secure it ? 
To the first question I would reply very simply — that 
our hardy fruit trees are at all seasons of the year so 

82 



THE ORCHARD GARDEN 83 



exquisitely beautiful, so essentially good in form, that to 
neglect them as a decorative asset is to deprive ourselves 
of many garden pictures otherwise unattainable. Who 
with an eye for floral loveliness can resist the charm 
of an orchard in spring ? The chequered shadows on 
the grass, the vista of grey twisted trunks, the fairy 
canopies of blossom — silver, pink, and the colours of 
nacre. Or in autumn, when the ripening fruit gleams 
through a haze of saffron, russet, brown and gold. 
The cider orchards of Normandy and in our native 
Devonshire — in blossom time like fleecy clouds upon 
the hills — are surpassingly beautiful , what gardens 
might not many of them become ! 

As to sacrifice, if a lessened possibility of first class 
crops may so be called, it need not concern those who 
do not seek to make a living from the produce of their 
trees. To grow fruit to a commercial profit, it is 
necessary no doubt to adopt the least picturesque of 
cultural systems. The very presence of turf is then 
injurious, the beautiful and natural tree forms must give 
place to dwarf bushes, which, grafted on the Paradise 
and other quick maturing stocks, give an early return, 
but destroy for ever all the grace and character of the 
various hardy trees. There is no beauty in the market 
plantation with its stijfF lines of trees, its undercropping of 
bush fruits, and the bare earth devoid of freshness and 
colour. The production of fruit is here the only 
consideration 5 nothing else matters. 

But in the old style orchard attached to the country 
home we may have fruit and grateful scenes besides ; 
for it must not be supposed that the orchard beautiful 
means the orchard neglected. Pruning, spraying and 
manuring may go on as before, and sound, healthy crops 
be gathered during autumn days ; but in addition there 
will be the interest of a garden during the greater part 
of the year. Daffodils and Star Narcissi in spring, 



84 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



Aconites and Blue Scillas spangling the turf, Primrose 
clumps by hedgerow and bank, Wild Roses, Honey- 
suckle and Clematis climbing the stronger trees, sturdy 
herbaceous plants springing up in odd corners. In fact, 
a wealth of free and hardy wildings, too vigorous 
perhaps for the garden proper, too good to lose sight of 
altogether. 

The majority of the older cottage gardens possess an 
orchard ; often it is of considerable extent, though 
probably much neglected and overgrown. Frequently 
it borders a small paddock, or is approached from the 
garden by a nut copse or piece of waste ground 
covered with an undergrowth of bushes, flowering 
ribes, and perhaps a tangle of unpruned gooseberries 
and currants. In such cases the making of an orchard 
garden is easy, but a vast amount of decayed and 
unprofitable wood will have to be removed before any- 
thing further is done. If there is no existing orchard, 
but land on which to plant one, the designer may set to 
work unhampered, and lay out a garden and a fruit 
ground at the same time. Some people hesitate to 
plant fruit trees believing, selfishly enough, that they 
will not live to see them at maturity, or that change of 
residence will necessitate leaving the orchard to others 
when in its prime. This is indefensible from every 
point of view, not only because it is a duty to plant for 
our heirs and successors, but from the fact that a newly 
formed orchard garden is beautiful and interesting from 
the first, increasing in charm with each successive season. 
The two orchard gardens I have in mind serve admirably 
as illustrations as to what may be done ; one was formed 
by the renovation and remodelling of an existing orchard, 
the other was entirely new and resulted from the 
fencing in of part of a small pasture field attached to 
a country cottage property. I will attempt to describe 
what was done with the former. 



THE ORCHARD GARDEN 85 



The orchard, consisting mainly of old apple, pear and 
plum trees, was situated on the side of a steeply sloping 
hillside ; at its lower end a small stream divided it from 
a grass field, which although not at first belonging to 
the property was subsequently acquired. This was 
fortunate, as it enabled the making of a picturesque 
water-garden on either side of the stream, the planting 
on the right bank being part of the orchard. The 
first thing done was to overhaul the trees, many of which 
were cumberers of the ground. All but the best were 
rooted up and burnt, the ashes being returned to the 
soil. About half the trees were thus destroyed, and 
those retained were thoroughly cleansed with alkali 
wash to rid them of parasites and pests. In due course 
they were carefully pruned, and good soil and manure 
spread above their roots ; later, they bore excellent 
crops. To make up the full number of trees, a sufficiency 
of maiden standards was planted in late autumn, care 
being taken to procure specimens which had been 
grafted on natural stocks ; in one or two cases it was 
possible to obtain trees on their own roots, a great gain 
so far as grace of form is concerned. In planting, the 
old sites were studiously avoided, partly because the 
previous tenants would have robbed the ground of all 
its fertility, partly so that the rows might be as irregular 
as possible. In making this orchard, mere picturesque- 
ness was not the sole consideration ; the trees were all 
chosen from varieties whose hardiness, fruiting capacity 
and suitability to soil and locality, had been abundantly 
proved ; and no trouble was spared to keep them healthy 
and prolific. The best way when making an orchard is 
to study varieties growing in the neighbourhood ; a kind 
which is a success in one district may be a total failure 
in another. It would be folly to urge the forming of 
an orchard garden unless there was every probability of 
its justifying its existence by supplying the household 



86 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



with fruit ; the fact that it would be beautiful to look at 
is of itself insufficient. 

Having planted the fruit trees, the border hedges 
were next taken in hand. These, for the most part, 
consisted of Quickset, thin and ragged in places. The 
aim being to get as much variety as possible, consistent 
with the requisite security and shelter, the best of the 
Thorn was retained and the rest grubbed up. In the 
gaps, Sloe, Hornbeam, and Wild Roses, were planted, 
with here and there a few young Crabs and Bullaces to 
break the line. On the side exposed to the north-east 
a high bank was thrown up, and on this was formed a 
stout hedge of young Hollies, which have subsequently 
been permitted to grow at random, only a minimum of 
clipping being allowed. An attempt was made to drape 
the evergreen hedge with trails of Sweet Brier and 
Clematis, but the plants failed to hold their own against 
the hungry roots of the Holly. The latter, however, 
is a fine example of rich colour and form, thanks to the 
restricted use of the shears. Along the front of the 
hedges an excellent effect was produced by single bushes 
and clumps of the hardy single Roses (Austrian Copper 
Brier and Ramanas), Syringa and Flowering Currants. 

It was first intended to grow only spring bulbs in the 
grass among the trees, and during the second autumn 
several hundreds of the cheaper Star Narcissi were 
planted in drifts and colonies throughout the orchard. 
Later, however, a number of herbaceous plants were 
added, among them the shrubby Meadow Sweets, Fox- 
gloves, Golden Rod, Honesty, Paeonies, Lupins, Mullein, 
Columbines and Evening Primrose. The majority were 
too coarse in growth to merit a place in the garden 
proper, and as they were able to take care of themselves 
in the orchard, they found a ready welcome. No 
particular plan was followed in grouping them 5 two or 
three harmonising varieties were boldly massed together, 



THE ORCHARD GARDEN 87 



and allowed to seed and increase without interference. 
This particular orchard garden owed much of its beauty 
to the presence of the stream, whose sides were planted 
with semi-aquatics ; Irises were a special feature, and if 
the conditions were not altogether ideal they thrived 
reasonably well and were a source of much enjoyment. 

Of course where plants other than bulbs are grown 
in the orchard, it becomes impossible to allow stock 
for grazing purposes. Even poultry must be excluded, 
and in this way no doubt we lose some slight benefit 
in the way of fertility. But against this it must be 
remembered that both animals and fowls are apt to do 
an immense amount of harm among fruit trees ; calves 
and sheep are for ever gnawing the bark and rubbing 
themselves against the stems, whilst poultry scratch the 
soil from above the roots, break the lower branches by 
perching upon them, and pick holes in any fruits within 
their reach. The use of artificials, now both cheap and 
efficacious, will keep up the store of plant food, and 
much good may be done by spreading the grass 
mowings above the tree roots in the form of a summer 
mulch. Needless to say, regular pathways are not 
required in the garden orchard, though, if desired, grass 
tracks may be cut in various directions to enable a visit 
without discomfort after rain. 

The other orchard to which I have made reference 
was very different in character, and as it was situated 
on perfectly level ground, and the trees were all freshly 
planted and had not taken on the gnarled and picturesque 
appearance of age, it lacked the charm of the hillside 
garden. Still it was delightful, and in course of time 
will become more so. When the trees were first planted 
the turf was entirely stripped from the field so that the 
ground could be better prepared. It was not until they 
had stood for three seasons, and the orchard hedge 
(Holly) had grown somewhat, that the idea occurred 



88 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



to the owner of making it into a semi-wild garden. A 
start was made by sowing the ground with the finer 
meadow grasses ; these were used as a dense sward was 
not desired, it being proposed to naturalise many small 
bulbous flowers, which among coarse herbage would 
soon have disappeared. As may be supposed, the finer 
mixture did not germinate very readily, and birds took 
much of the seed. In spite of this, there was soon a 
crop of sparse, benty herbage, and the bare patches 
subsequently proved an advantage rather than otherwise. 
The beautiful Ivy-leaved Cyclamen (C. hederaefolium) 
was planted freely in the thinnest places, and during 
winter the handsome leaves, produced after the flowers 
had faded, covered the ground with spreading carpets 
of foliage. Snowdrops, Aconites, Scillas, Grape 
Hyacinths, Dog's Tooth Violets, Fritillaries and Star 
of Bethlehem were also naturalised in irregular drifts, 
each variety being kept separate. In October, when 
the fruit trees were putting on their autumn tints, the 
ground was sheeted in places with the rosy -lilac 
flowers of Meadow Saffron (C. autumnale), whose 
strong tufts of glossy leaves were a welcome feature 
during spring. In addition to the bulbs, single 
Primroses of as many colours as possible were planted 
in scattered colonies. The patches of mauve, yellow 
and white, seen between the trees made a delightful 
picture, and although fine blooms could not be expected 
under the circumstances, the flowers were none the less 
beautiful on that account. No herbaceous plants were 
grown, the orchard being intended more as a spring 
wild garden than anything else. 

These two examples should serve to suggest other 
ways in which the orchard may be planted with many 
families of hardy things. To lay down precise rules 
for forming orchard gardens would be fatal, as nothing 
formal or stereotyped should be attempted. The health 

c 

c c 



THE ORCHARD GARDEN 89 



and well-being of the fruit trees themselves must never be 
lost sight of ; for the rest we may plant colonies of any- 
bulbous or herbaceous flowers that are likely to thrive, 
and return a measure of interest and beauty. Where 
the orchard is large and old-established, endless op- 
portunities occur for free and natural schemes of 
planting, but the fact that possession is limited to the 
smallest fruit ground, a dozen or two of trees perhaps, 
need not deter us from making it into an orchard garden. 
The woods and fields are overflowing with beautiful 
wild plants which might be transplanted and re- 
established, so that we could enjoy their freshness close 
at hand. Without incurring the smallest expense, our 
semi-wild garden might overflow with good things — 
spreading clumps of Primroses, freely obtained from 
any country hedgerow; Violets, Anemones, Bluebells 
and other woodland carpeting plants ; Dog Roses, 
Clematis and Honeysuckle; Foxgloves, Meadowsweet, 
with handsome foliage plants like the Giant Fennels and 
native Ferns ; Loosestrife, Ox-eye Daisies, Bindweed 
and Forget-me-Not — all native plants, to be had for the 
asking. The return in the way of interest and beauty 
is so great, the attention demanded so small, that the 
orchard garden should commend itself to every lover of 
hardy flowers grown in simple and natural ways. 



A List of Plants suitable for the Orchard 

Garden 

Bulbous and tuberous flowers for naturalising in grass. 

Narcissi. Cyclamen. 
Snowdrops. Grape Hyacinths. 

Scilla. Fritillaries. 
Winter Aconites. Autumn Crocuses. 
Star of Bethlehem, 



90 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 

Herbaceous plants for scattered colonies and groups between trees. 

Lupins. Meadow Sweet. Fennel. 

Foxgloves. Honesty. Periwinkle. 

Primroses. Golden Rod. Paeonies. 

Hepatica. Columbines. Solomon's Seal. 

Loosestrife. Cornflowers. Poppies. 

Scabious. Mullein. Mallows. 
Evening Primrose. Acanthus. 

Climbers y etc^ for lending grace and variety to boundary hedges. 

Wild Roses. Virginian Creeper. 

Clematis. Honeysuckle. 
Sweet Brier. 



INDEX 



Annuals, autumn sown, 31, 

for cutting, 36. 

fragrant, 74. 

half-hardy, 31. 

in autumn, 36. 

in spring, 34. 

in summer, 35. 

thinning, 33. 

uses of, 29. 

Bedding-out," 19 
Beds, colour suggestion for, 66. 
Biennials, 29. 
Borders, colour in, 64. 

in winter, 26. 

positions for, 22. 

preparation of, 20. 

wall, 24. 

Bulbous rooted plants, 27. 

Carpet plants, dwarf, 28. 
Climbers, fragrant, 74. 

on walls, 25. 

Colour, garden, 60. 

schemes of, 63. 

Colours in Nature, 62. 
Cottage gardens, natural effects 
in, 6. 

Robinson on, 5. 

the charm of, 3. 

Espalier fences, 79. 

Flowers, for cutting, 54. 

scented, 71. 

white, 65. 

Fragrance, 67. 

Garden, design of kitchen, 76, 
the walled-in, 78. 



Garden, the reserve, 51. 
Gardens, money spent on, 4. 

Hardy border plants, 27, 

flower borders, 19. 

Hybrid-perpetuals, 42. 

Kitchen garden paths, 80. 

Lawns, 10. 

drainage of, 12. 

" fairy-rings " on, 17. 

making, 13. 

rolling and cutting, 16. 

turfing and seeding, 12. 

Orchard garden, the, 82. 

gardens, laying out, 84. 

plants for, 89. 

hedges, 86. 

Perennials, for cut bloom, 57 
Plants, fragrant, 73. 

Roses, 39. 

China, 48. 

climbing, 45. 

double climbing, 47. 

permanent planting of, 

positions for, 41. 

single, 45. 

standard, 4c. 

stocks for, 43. 

tea, 43. 

varieties of, 49. 

Shrubs, scented, 69. 

Vegetable garden, the, 75, 
gardens, old, 77. 



91 



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The Kellys and the 

O'Kellys 

The Small House at 

Al.LINGTON (2 vols.) 

Can You Forgive Her? 
(2 vols ) 



JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD, LONDON, W. 



THE SPANISH SERIES 

Edited by ALBERT F. CALVERT 

A new and important series of volumes, dealing with 
Spain in its various aspects, its history, its cities and 
monuments. Each volume will be complete in itself 
in an artistic binding, and the number and excellence 
of the reproductions from pictures will justify the claim 
that these books comprise the most copiously illustrated 
series that has yet been issued, some volumes having 
nearly 300 pages of reproductions of pictures, etc. 
Size, Crown 8vo. Price 3s. 6d. net. 

The following Volmnes will be ready immediately. 

MADRID. A Historical and Descriptive Account of the Spanish 
Capital. With 450 Illustrations. 

ROYAL PALACES OF SPAIN. A Historical and Descriptive 
Account of the Seven Principal Palaces of the Spanish Kings. 
Profusely Illustrated. 

EL GRECO. A Biography and an Appreciation. Illustrated by 
over 140 Reproductions and Photographs from his Pictures. 

Already Published. 



MURILLO 
SEVILLE 
CORDOVA 
TOLEDO 
THE PRADO 
THE ESCORIAL 
SPANISH ARMS AND 
ARMOUR 



GRANADA AND THE 

ALHAMBRA 
VELAZQUEZ 
GOYA 

LEON, BURGOS, AND 
SALAMANCA 

VALLADOLID, OVIEDO, 
SEGOVIA, ZAMORA, 
AVILA, AND ZARAGOZA 



JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD, LONDON, W. 



JUN 11 1W9 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Oct. 2012 

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